NOS: Stores want to sell drinks, but don’t care about empty bottles

The broadcaster said venues such as cinemas, kiosks and amusement parks that sell drinks as part of their service would be in breach of their legal obligation to collect empty bottles and cans if recycling targets were not met. not specified Said Friday.

Recycling targets for plastic bottles and cans were missed last year for the second year in a row, according to Verpact, the industry body responsible for processing recyclable waste.

Verpact said that a year after it started collecting deposits on cans, only 65% ​​of cans and 68% of bottles had been delivered to collection points. The official target is 90%.

Low return rates mean some 374 million euros Consumers are not charged a deposit. The Netherlands began to levy a 15 euro cent deposit on small bottles of drinks in July 2021. Canned drinks were also levied in April last year.

Verpact says to reach this target, around 8,000 additional collection points are needed, but only 800 have been added so far, creating a serious waste problem.

Local councils, waste collection services and environmental groups say laws requiring drinks sellers to take back empty bottles would help.

Government documents requested by NOS show Germany already has such a requirement and that it was considered but ultimately rejected for reasons that are not yet clear.

Environmental watchdog Leefomgeving en Transport says drinks manufacturers will face a spike in recycling if they do not do more fine Up to 300 million euros.

The government will review the legal framework for the deposit scheme later this year.