Cutting the crap: The benefits of implementing resource efficiency in German supermarkets

The report finds that German supermarkets could reduce material use across their product ranges by approximately 20% by switching to more efficient products and innovative business models. Despite their market power, no major German supermarket currently has a policy to reduce the material resource use embedded in the products they sell. The document argues that an economy-wide 20% increase in resource efficiency would create nearly 700,000 jobs and lower gross output prices by 4.3% by 2030. It recommends that supermarkets stop selling inefficient products, demand resource data from suppliers, and that the German government implement binding absolute resource efficiency targets.

• There is a significant potential for material reduction in the German supermarket sector, estimated at approximately 20% across the entire range of products.
• German supermarkets lack formal policies or measurements regarding the resource efficiency of the products they sell, despite their dominant market position in Germany and Europe.
• An economy-wide increase in resource efficiency of 20% in Germany by 2030 is projected to create nearly 700,000 new jobs, reduce gross output prices by 4.3%, increase exports by almost 5%, and decrease imports by 10%.
• Germany's current resource efficiency targets are non-binding and use a measurement methodology relative to GDP that fails to account for absolute overconsumption or the full impact of imported materials.
• Germany is a leading waste generator in the EU, with municipal waste generation at 617 kg per person in 2013, exceeding the EU average of 481 kg.
• The prevalence of waste incineration in Germany is driven by significant overcapacity, which can make burning waste cheaper than recycling, contrary to the waste hierarchy.
• Material savings can be achieved through five primary methods: product innovation (compression/concentration), reducing or eliminating packaging, extending product lifetime via reuse and repair, increasing recycled material use, and adopting 'product as a service' business models.
• The share of reusable bottles in Germany has declined from 70% to 50% in recent years, partly due to the refusal of large discounters like Aldi and Lidl to sell Mehrweg bottles.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (n.d.). Cutting the crap: The benefits of implementing resource efficiency in German supermarkets. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Changing-Markets_Cutting-the-Crap_Supermarkets_English.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Cutting the crap: The benefits of implementing resource efficiency in German supermarkets. n.d. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Changing-Markets_Cutting-the-Crap_Supermarkets_English.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Cutting the crap: The benefits of implementing resource efficiency in German supermarkets |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Changing-Markets_Cutting-the-Crap_Supermarkets_English.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundationndcutting, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Cutting the crap: The benefits of implementing resource efficiency in German supermarkets}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Changing-Markets_Cutting-the-Crap_Supermarkets_English.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }