Berlin (dpa) – The minimum wage will be increased, plastic bags will be banned and the CO2 tax will rise – a lot will change in Germany in 2022. An overview in excerpts:
Ban on plastic bags
From 1 January, plastic shopping bags will no longer be allowed at German checkouts. This concerns the so-called lightweight plastic carrier bags, the standard bags you get when you go shopping. Particularly sturdy reusable bags and the thin plastic bags you find at fruit and vegetable stands, for example, are exempt.
CO2 tax
The CO2 tax will also increase in 2022 to make climate protection more attractive. Instead of 25 euros per tonne of emitted carbon dioxide, 30 euros will then be due. This will affect fuel prices, among other things – but not as much as at the beginning of 2021. According to calculations by the ADAC, petrol and diesel should now become more expensive by about one and a half cents each due to the CO2 price.
Killing chicks
The killing of millions of chicks in laying hen farming will come to an end in the new year. Up to now, almost 45 million male chicks have been killed annually in German hatcheries, as they are neither useful for egg production nor as chickens for fattening.
Minimum wage
Currently, the statutory minimum wage is 9.60 euros per hour. In the new year it will rise twice: on 1 January 2022 it will be raised to 9.82 and on 1 July 2022 to 10.45 euros. The new federal government wants to raise the minimum wage further to 12 euros per hour.
Cancellation button
In future, it will be easier to terminate a contract if it is concluded on the internet. As of 1 July, so-called continuing obligations will be subject to a cancellation button, which consumers can use to get rid of their contracts without having to do a lot of searching and writing letters.
Electrical appliances
Depending on the size of the shop and the product range, discounters and supermarkets will have to accept old electrical appliances such as electric toothbrushes or mobile phones in future. Shops must, for example, accept small appliances such as a worn-out pocket calculator or an old razor even if they were bought elsewhere. Larger appliances such as old televisions, however, can only be handed in if a new appliance is purchased. Online retailers must also take back and recycle e-waste free of charge and without complications.
Deposit obligation
On 1 January, the mandatory deposit on beverages in plastic bottles will be extended. While fruit and vegetable juices, for example, were previously exempt from the one-way deposit of 25 cents, in future this will also apply to them. Beverage cans will also be subject to a deposit without exception.
