Beverage producers and environmental organisations at European level side by side for deposit return systems

In many countries where deposit return schemes are being discussed, beverage producers are often publicly represented by opponents of deposit systems, such as the Afvalfonds in the Netherlands and Fevia and Fost Plus in Belgium.

This stands in stark contrast to the unity being shown today at European level. The two major European beverage producer federations, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe and Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE), whose members include household names such as Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Danone, Nestlé Waters and Red Bull, are today publishing a joint press release with the environmental group Zero Waste Europe (ZWE). In it, they underline the importance of deposit return schemes in the transition to a circular economy. They are also presenting far-reaching joint ideas on the design of deposit return systems to the European Commission.

This European unity between industry and the environmental movement puts pressure on the national positions of Afvalfonds in the Netherlands, and Fevia and Fost Plus in Belgium.

Minimum requirements for national deposit systems

NMWE, UNESDA and ZWE together present a list of minimum requirements for efficient deposit systems to the European Commission. According to them, a deposit return scheme must, among other things:

include relevant beverage packaging types and volumes up to three litres;

where possible from the outset, be suitable for both single-use and refillable, reusable packaging;

have deposit values that guarantee a 90% return rate for each packaging material;

enshrine the obligations for producers and a take-back obligation for retailers into legislation.

Implications for the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, there has been a deposit on small plastic bottles since 1 July 2021. Cans will follow on 31 December 2022. The lack of a take-back obligation for points of sale is causing problems for both types of packaging.

There are some large points of sale, such as theme parks or the cinema chain Pathé, which currently sell millions of deposit bottles but do not return the deposit to their customers.

As far as cans are concerned, supermarkets have so far refused to act as return points in the future: they want to collect cans outside supermarkets in public spaces. This undermines the proper functioning of the deposit return scheme. Recycling Netwerk and other environmental organisations have been calling for a legal take-back obligation for retailers from the very beginning.

With today's press release, the European federations of beverage producers are now also calling for this legal take-back obligation for retail. This increases the support for the legal take-back obligation even further. Therefore, Recycling Netwerk once again calls on the Dutch government to include a take-back obligation in the deposit legislation.

Implications for Belgium

In Belgium, the companies that put packaging on the market, through Fost Plus, Comeos and Fevia, are voicing opposition to deposit systems.

Yet Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nestlé, Danone and Unilever are members of both Fost Plus and Fevia, which lobby against deposit systems, and the European beverage producers' federations UNESDA and NMWE, which in today's press release express their support for "deposit return schemes as one of the most efficient options to meet EU collection and recycling targets (...)."

The contrasts in the messages and positions of the European federation and the Belgian federations are becoming a problem. Recycling Netwerk Benelux therefore calls on the Belgian branches of the beverage multinationals that are members of UNESDA and NMWE to speak out in favour of the introduction of deposit systems in Belgium.

In many countries where deposit return schemes are being discussed, beverage producers are often publicly represented by opponents of deposit systems, such as the Afvalfonds in the Netherlands and Fevia and Fost Plus in Belgium.

This stands in stark contrast to the unity being shown today at European level. The two major European beverage producer federations, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe and Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE), whose members include household names such as Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Danone, Nestlé Waters and Red Bull, are today publishing a joint press release with the environmental group Zero Waste Europe (ZWE). In it, they underline the importance of deposit return schemes in the transition to a circular economy. They are also presenting far-reaching joint ideas on the design of deposit return systems to the European Commission.

This European unity between industry and the environmental movement puts pressure on the national positions of Afvalfonds in the Netherlands, and Fevia and Fost Plus in Belgium.

Minimum requirements for national deposit systems

NMWE, UNESDA and ZWE together present a list of minimum requirements for efficient deposit systems to the European Commission. According to them, a deposit return scheme must, among other things:

include relevant beverage packaging types and volumes up to three litres;

where possible from the outset, be suitable for both single-use and refillable, reusable packaging;

have deposit values that guarantee a 90% return rate for each packaging material;

enshrine the obligations for producers and a take-back obligation for retailers into legislation.

Implications for the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, there has been a deposit on small plastic bottles since 1 July 2021. Cans will follow on 31 December 2022. The lack of a take-back obligation for points of sale is causing problems for both types of packaging.

There are some large points of sale, such as theme parks or the cinema chain Pathé, which currently sell millions of deposit bottles but do not return the deposit to their customers.

As far as cans are concerned, supermarkets have so far refused to act as return points in the future: they want to collect cans outside supermarkets in public spaces. This undermines the proper functioning of the deposit return scheme. Recycling Netwerk and other environmental organisations have been calling for a legal take-back obligation for retailers from the very beginning.

With today's press release, the European federations of beverage producers are now also calling for this legal take-back obligation for retail. This increases the support for the legal take-back obligation even further. Therefore, Recycling Netwerk once again calls on the Dutch government to include a take-back obligation in the deposit legislation.

Implications for Belgium

In Belgium, the companies that put packaging on the market, through Fost Plus, Comeos and Fevia, are voicing opposition to deposit systems.

Yet Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nestlé, Danone and Unilever are members of both Fost Plus and Fevia, which lobby against deposit systems, and the European beverage producers' federations UNESDA and NMWE, which in today's press release express their support for "deposit return schemes as one of the most efficient options to meet EU collection and recycling targets (...)."

The contrasts in the messages and positions of the European federation and the Belgian federations are becoming a problem. Recycling Netwerk Benelux therefore calls on the Belgian branches of the beverage multinationals that are members of UNESDA and NMWE to speak out in favour of the introduction of deposit systems in Belgium.