Deposit announcement in 2025: watch out for delaying tactics

The Flemish government's decision to first give the business community the opportunity to experiment with a scanning system in 2023 (whereby consumers have to get their deposit back by scanning QR codes on packaging and the blue PMD bag), is however a huge risk of delay, postponement and cancellation. It would have been better to provide immediate clarity and oblige sales outlets to return deposit money to consumers. To avoid delay, we want to call on the government to build in sufficient guarantees that the deposit system can actually start in 2025. Parallel to the sector's experiment, the government must work out a solid plan for a return-to-retail system. The involvement of civil society stakeholders such as municipalities, consumer organisations and environmental organisations is crucial, both in the experiments with scanning systems and in the further development of the traditional system. Scanning system Research shows that the scanning system proposed by the packaging sector is not yet ready for use. A deposit system in which consumers have to get their money back via QR codes does not yet exist anywhere in the world. It is unclear when the technology will be ready for the market at all. According to Statistics Flanders, 46 % of Flemings lack basic digital skills. There is therefore a risk that many people will find it difficult to get their deposit back with a QR system that requires a smartphone. In addition to a smartphone, 'home scanners' could be used to get the deposit back, but these also require an internet connection. There are also questions about how consumers get their money back and whether privacy will be sufficiently guaranteed. There are also technical challenges: the technology for high-speed printing of individual QR codes on cans has yet to be invented. In terms of IT, a completely new and complex system also needs to be set up. There are therefore many and very fundamental questions that should be resolved before the end of 2023. The question is also whether the plan aligns with European plans around the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. On 30 November, the European Commission presented this new regulation, which, among other things, should encourage refillable packaging. Belgium's future system will also have to facilitate the reuse of beverage bottles. Transparency The packaging industry had a study carried out by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and lobbied for a digital system based on it, but refuses to make the study public. It is important that further knowledge gathering in 2023 is transparent if a good decision is to be made for a deposit system. The well-known deposit systems with collection at sales outlets have already existed for many years in 48 regions around the world. Every day, they prove there that it works. There are no questions about market readiness, privacy or digital skills. We therefore continue to ask the environment ministers of the 3 regions to build a well-known deposit system that effectively works against littering, improves recycling and enables reuse. In our view, this still means collection by supermarkets and sales outlets, as in all those other successful deposit countries.

The Flemish government's decision to first give the business community the opportunity to experiment with a scanning system in 2023 (whereby consumers have to get their deposit back by scanning QR codes on packaging and the blue PMD bag) is, however, a huge risk of delay, postponement and cancellation. It would have been better to provide immediate clarity and oblige sales outlets to return deposit money to consumers.

To avoid delay, we want to call on the government to build in sufficient guarantees that the deposit system can actually start in 2025. Parallel to the sector's experiment, the government must work out a solid plan for a return-to-retail system. The involvement of civil society stakeholders such as municipalities, consumer organisations and environmental organisations is crucial, both in the experiments with scanning systems and in the further development of the traditional system.

Scanning system

Research shows that the scanning system proposed by the packaging industry is not yet ready for use. A deposit system in which consumers have to get their money back via QR codes does not yet exist anywhere in the world. It is unclear when the technology will be ready for the market at all.

According to Statistics Flanders, 46 % of Flemings lack basic digital skills. There is therefore a risk that many people will find it difficult to get their deposit back with a QR system that requires a smartphone. In addition to a smartphone, 'home scanners' could be used to get the deposit back, but these also require an internet connection. There are also questions about how consumers get their money back and whether privacy will be sufficiently guaranteed.

There are also technical challenges: the technology for high-speed printing of individual QR codes on cans has yet to be invented. In terms of IT, a completely new and complex system also needs to be set up. There are therefore many and very fundamental questions that should be resolved before the end of 2023.

The question is also whether the plan aligns with European plans around the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. On 30 November, the European Commission presented this new regulation, which, among other things, should encourage refillable packaging. Belgium's future system will also have to facilitate the reuse of beverage bottles.

Transparency

The packaging industry had a study carried out by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and lobbied for a digital system based on it, but refuses to make the study public. It is important that further knowledge gathering in 2023 is transparent if a good decision is to be made for a deposit system.

The well-known deposit systems with collection at sales outlets have already existed for many years in 48 regions around the world. Every day, they prove there that it works. There are no questions about market readiness, privacy or digital skills.

We therefore continue to ask the environment ministers of the 3 regions to build a well-known deposit system that effectively works against littering, improves recycling and enables reuse. In our view, this still means collection by supermarkets and sales outlets, as in all those other successful deposit countries.