Germany to force plastic makers to help pay for cleanups

BERLIN (AP) — The German government says that it plans to make plastic manufacturers contribute to the cost of cleaning up litter in streets and parks. The Cabinet on Wednesday agreed on a bill that makers of products containing single-use plastic will need to pay into a central fund managed by the government starting in 2025. The fund is estimated to collect about $446 million in the first year. That is based on the companies’ past production of single-use plastic. Affected items include cigarette filters, drinks containers and packaging for takeout food.