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Circular News Digest: August 2026
Was bewegt die Kreislaufwirtschaft in Berlin diesem Monat? Wir haben die neuesten politischen Updates, lokalen Berliner Initiativen und Innovationen der Kreislaufwirtschaft in den Bereichen Verpackung, Bauwesen, Elektronik und Textil für Sie zusammengestellt.
Neues aus der zirkulären Verpackung
vorbereitet von Casper van Alfen
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg’s reusable cup pilot is a success!
For one year, reusable to-go cups from Recup and Sykell could be returned through regular deposit machines in eight REWE supermarkets, with Sykell’s Circular ERP software tracking every cup between return and redelivery. It works: 95% of users called the return practical, over 80% would pick reusable if returning were always this easy. Full results by DUH and Kühne Logistics University you can find further.
Berlin startup dotch gets 24 major manufacturers on board for reusable glass.
Dotch runs a full-service reuse system for pre-packed food in standardized glass jars and bottles (think of oils, pickles, confitures etc), returnable through existing deposit machines. Now Kühne, Develey, Feinkost Dittmann and 21 others are shifting their jars into dotch’s pool under “Glas kann mehrWeg”. All for an unsentimental, but very important reason: single-use glass is simply getting too expensive.
The PPWR is live since August 12th.
The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation applies to every piece of packaging on the EU market; it’s the biggest shake-up of European packaging law in thirty years. One set of rules, directly binding in every member state. This official kick-off is only the start of a new sustainability chapter in Europe: the heavy deadlines (recyclability grades, recycled content, reuse quotas) land between 2027 and 2030. However, August 12 wasn’t just PPWR day: Germany’s new VerpackDG took effect the same day, translating the EU regulation into national law and replacing the old VerpackG. The biggest shift sits in recycling: from 2028, the dual systems must recycle 75% of plastic packaging, rising to 80% in 2030. For the first time, chemical recycling counts toward the quota (capped at 5%). For context: today the systems sit at around 71% for plastics, so the target is within reach but not on autopilot.
Neues aus dem zirkulären Bauwesen
vorbereitet von Jerry Popoola
Interview of Sören Bartol on the lead topics for Germany’s National Circular Economy Strategy
Following the adoption of Germany’s National Circular Economy Strategy, the federal government is launching a targeted action program centred on the construction sector. In a recent interview, Parliamentary State Secretary Sören Bartol (BMWSB) detailed how the program aims to close material loops. Key initiatives include expanding the Waste Management Act (KrWG) to cover resource sovereignty, preventing intact salvaged building components from automatically being categorised as waste, and simplifying quality monitoring rules under the Secondary Construction Materials Ordinance (Ersatzbaustoffverordnung). Additionally, the government plans to update the Waste Wood Ordinance (Altholzverordnung) to prioritise material reuse over incineration and continue tying federal building subsidies to binding life-cycle greenhouse gas limits.
Transformationsbarometer Bauwirtschaft 2025/26
The publication from the last month provides the first data-driven benchmark for Germany’s transition toward resource-efficient construction across 4,500+ industry actors. The findings confirm that building within the existing fabric (Bauen im Bestand) has become the primary market driver in Germany. So e.g. Working with existing buildings accounts for 63% of projects for architecture firms, 55% for engineering offices, and 84% for finishing trades. When evaluating existing buildings, planners decide in ~75% of cases to preserve rather than demolish. When demolition is chosen, cost and financial feasibility are the primary driver in ~60% of cases. Key factors forcing demolition include the high cost of meeting regulatory mandates, severe structural/technical defects, fire safety compliance, and functional incompatibility with new building uses.
Selective dismantling in practice of the former AEG/Nixdorf in Berlin
Behind the mirrored facade on Gustav-Meyer-Allee in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen, the selective dismantling of the former AEG/Nixdorf site is underway. Instead of immediate demolition, workers are extracting 40,000 m² of carpet tiles and floor panels for direct architectural reuse, while 50,000 tonnes of concrete are being crushed on-site into high-grade recycled aggregates, establishing a localised material supply pipeline through 2027.
Updates from Circular Textile
Meet our Member Dawn Denim.
This brand built on the belief in a better tomorrow and taking the future into their own hands. They are proving that a business can operate locally, responsibly, environmentally, and ethically, all while creating jeans that fit better and fit our times. They are very aligned with our vision on Repair. e.g. the “Art on Broken Pieces” concept transforms jeans with small defects into beautiful, unique, one-of-a-kind items.
Neues aus dem Bereich Elektronik
BDI & BCG Study: €880 Billion Growth Potential for German Industry
A study by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows that circular business models could more than double annual gross value creation in German manufacturing from €60 billion to €125 billion by 2045. Analyzing five key sectors: mobility, machinery, construction, energy, and textiles the report shows that scaling circularity could generate up to €880 billion in cumulative added value while replacing 20–40% of strategic raw material imports and significantly lowering industrial carbon emissions.
Updates from Circular Food
Zero Food Miles: REWE Supermarket Growing Lettuce on its Roof
In Berlin-Lankwitz, fresh lettuce is growing on the roof of a Rewe supermarket in cooperation with ECF Farmsystems and landing directly on the shelves below after the daily harvest. Germany’s largest rooftop farm has now started operations here. The plants grow across 2,760 square meters in an automated hydroponic system. The lettuce is irrigated using rainwater collected in a rooftop cistern. According to Rewe, this could save around 500,000 transport kilometers compared to importing goods from Southern Europe.
