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Impact of the 25g Hookah Tobacco Regulation on Packaging Waste
Last updated on 24.05.2025 | Reading time approx. 04:42min
ATTENTION: This article is no longer up to date, as the German Federal Ministry of Finance has passed a law allowing the sale of hookah tobacco in packaging sizes over 25g again starting from 01.07.2024. You can find all the details on the change here: 200g Hookah Tobacco Comeback.
Click here to go directly to the 200g hookah tobacco packages.
What You’ll Learn in This Article
- Why the 25g regulation was introduced
- How it affected hookah bars and consumers
- How much additional packaging waste was generated
- What material quantities were affected
- Comparison of old and new packaging solutions
Background: Growth in Hookah Tobacco
Pipe tobacco is the only type of tobacco that has shown consistent sales growth in recent years. This is evident from data by the Federal Statistical Office (www.destatis.de). The following chart, an excerpt from Fachserie 14 Reihe 9.1.1, shows the annual growth rates for this segment.
Annual growth rates for pipe tobacco, Fachserie 14 Reihe 0.1.1, Federal Statistical Office
The data also shows that these growth rates are largely attributable to hookah tobacco, which has been listed separately in statistics since 2022.
Current Legislative Changes
Until the end of 2021, tobacco manufacturers could still obtain tax stamps for packaging sizes over 25g. Production of such packages was allowed until mid-2022. Since July 2022, only packaging with a maximum of 25 grams is permitted.
Why Was the 25g Regulation Introduced?
The main reason for the law change was to prevent hookah bars from selling individual 20g servings taken from a 200g can, which is considered illegal. By law, tobacco must be sold as a complete package at the retail price printed on the tax stamp.
Therefore, only 20g or 25g packages are legal. However, most manufacturers did not offer such packaging, so bar owners opted for 200g or 1000g containers due to availability and cost. This prompted the law limiting pack sizes to a maximum of 25g.
What Changed as a Result?
Now, even private consumers have to buy 25g packs to enjoy hookah at home. This is not only inconvenient when preparing a hookah but also leads to a significant increase in packaging waste.
Most 25g tobacco packages are cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic, with an additional inner plastic pouch to keep the tobacco airtight. Some manufacturers have switched from large 200g tins to small plastic containers for the 25g format.
According to our data, the current distribution is about 75% cardboard box packaging and 25% plastic tins.
This Is How Much Packaging Waste the 25g Rule Generates
To assess the impact on packaging waste, we made the following assumptions:
- The total volume of hookah tobacco sold remains the same as the previous year. This is a conservative estimate considering annual growth rates of 20–40% in the past, though the law may have dampened growth due to rising prices.
- According to Federal Statistical Office data, the precise breakdown by packaging size is unclear. We used our sales data and verified plausibility with tax stamp pricing. Roughly 82% were 150g/200g/250g, with 200g dominating. About 11% were 1000g packages; the remaining 7% were ignored for this calculation.
- Tax stamps for 2021 covered 8,538t of pipe tobacco. We conservatively estimate that 60% of this was hookah tobacco, equating to 5,122.8t.
Calculation of Packaging Waste
We estimate that 2021’s hookah tobacco output was distributed as follows:
- 21,003,480 cans of 200g
- 563,508 cans of 1000g
If replaced with 25g packaging, the same quantity would require 204,912,000 cans. We measured average weights of different containers to estimate the total packaging waste. Plastic 25g tins weigh about 22g each, and cardboard box + plastic pouch packages weigh about 9g (6g cardboard, 3g plastic).
Based on a 75/25 ratio of cardboard to plastic tins:
Cardboard Packaging:
75% of 204,912,000 = 153,684,000 units/year
153,684,000 × 0.009kg = 1,383,156kg = 1,383.2t
Breakdown:
Cardboard: 153,684,000 × 0.006kg = 922.1t
Plastic: 153,684,000 × 0.003kg = 461.1t
Plastic Tin Packaging:
25% of 204,912,000 = 51,228,000 units/year
51,228,000 × 0.022kg = 1,127,016kg = 1,127t
Total packaging waste: 2,510.2t
For 200g cans, many are hybrid cardboard-plastic and hard to separate for weighing. Therefore, we calculated total packaging waste without distinction:
Average weight per 200g can = 52.5g
21,003,480 × 0.0525kg = 1,102,683kg = 1,102.7t
Average weight per 1000g can = 148.5g
563,508 × 0.1485kg = 83.7t
Total old packaging waste: 1,186.4t
Packaging Waste Comparison: 2021 vs 2023
Comparing the two totals: 1,186.4t (200g & 1000g cans) vs. 2,510.2t (25g cans). The law change more than doubled the packaging waste from hookah tobacco.
Packaging waste comparison for hookah tobacco, 2021 and 2023
Conclusion
It is alarming that legislation was changed in a way that caused such a dramatic increase in packaging waste. The additional waste corresponds to the annual waste produced by 16,969 people in German households. (Source: DESTATIS)
FAQ: Effects of the 25g Hookah Tobacco Regulation on Packaging Waste
What was the 25g hookah tobacco regulation?
The 25g regulation stipulated that hookah tobacco could only be produced and sold in pack sizes of a maximum of 25 grams. Larger packaging sizes such as 100g, 200g or 1kg were therefore temporarily no longer permitted.
Why was the 25g regulation introduced?
The regulation was mainly introduced to prevent the sale of individual portions from large tins in hookah lounges. According to the legal interpretation, tobacco always had to be sold together with the complete packaging content at the stated retail price.
What impact did the 25g regulation have on private consumers?
Private consumers also had to switch to 25g packs as a result. This made purchasing and preparation less practical while simultaneously leading to significantly more packaging waste.
Why did the 25g regulation create more packaging waste?
Because far more individual packages were required for the same amount of tobacco. Instead of a few large tins, millions of small 25g packages suddenly had to be produced, transported and disposed of.
Which packaging types were mainly used for 25g hookah tobacco?
Two variants were mainly used: cardboard boxes with additional plastic wrapping and an inner plastic bag, as well as small plastic tins. According to the data mentioned in the article, the share was around 75 percent cardboard boxes and 25 percent plastic tins.
How much did packaging waste increase because of the 25g regulation?
According to the calculation in the article, the resulting packaging waste increased from around 1,186.4 tons to approximately 2,510.2 tons per year. This means that packaging waste more than doubled due to the legal change.
How many 25g packages would have been required for the same amount of tobacco?
According to the article, around 204,912,000 packages with 25g content would have been required for the same amount of tobacco. This clearly shows how strongly small pack sizes affect the amount of waste generated.
What did the comparison between old and new packaging sizes look like?
Before the regulation, a large portion of tobacco was sold in 200g and 1000g tins. These larger packages generated significantly less waste than the later mandatory 25g units.
Is the article about the 25g regulation still up to date today?
No, according to the notice, the article is no longer up to date. The German Federal Ministry of Finance passed a legal amendment allowing hookah tobacco in pack sizes over 25g to be sold again since July 1, 2024.
What is the key conclusion regarding the 25g hookah tobacco regulation?
The key conclusion is that the 25g regulation led to a massive increase in packaging waste. For the same amount of hookah tobacco, significantly more individual packages had to be produced, which considerably increased the amount of waste.