Overview
- The city plans to introduce a packaging tax at the start of October that charges 0.50 euros for single‑use coffee cups and food bowls and 0.20 euros for disposable cutlery.
- Potsdam will exempt businesses that switch fully to reusables and offer grants to help restaurants and clubs buy reusable dishes and dishwashers.
- Local political opponents led by the CDU faction in the city council filed an urgency motion seeking to stop the levy and argue it creates a competitive disadvantage versus neighboring towns and Berlin.
- The state SPD, through General Secretary Kurt Fischer, publicly criticized the timing and called the measure the wrong signal given current cost pressures on households and businesses.
- Hospitality groups say the fee will raise costs for customers and add administrative work for small operators, and the city's move highlights a wider clash over local environmental rules versus economic concerns in Brandenburg.