Deposit on small plastic bottles: "Finally good news for the environment!"

“This decision is a historic victory in the fight against plastic pollution. We have been campaigning for this for years. The next step is a deposit on cans,” react environmental organisations Recycling Netwerk Benelux, Natuur & Milieu, the Plastic Soup Surfer, Plastic Soup Foundation, Greenpeace and Stichting De Noordzee to the letter to the House of Representatives from the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven.

Due to the expansion to small bottles of less than 1 litre, there will be a deposit on all plastic drinks bottles except those containing juices or dairy products. Deposits reduce the number of bottles in litter by 70 to 90 per cent, as shown by the study by CE Delft.

In February 2017, the political parties supported the Plastic Soup Surfer motion, which calls for a 90% reduction of plastic bottles in the environment. In November 2017, the Deposit Alliance (Statiegeldalliantie) was founded. It grew rapidly. Today, 1055 Deposit Alliance partners are asking the Dutch and Belgian governments to introduce a deposit on all plastic bottles and cans. Virtually all Dutch municipalities and hundreds of other organisations, including environmental organisations, but also Ekoplaza, ASN Bank, the Consumers' Association (Consumentenbond) and LTO, have joined.

In March 2018, the government agreed with the business community, which at the time was still largely opposed to deposits, that deposits would be introduced unless companies succeeded in reducing the amount of plastic bottles in litter by at least 70% and recycling 90% of plastic bottles. The business community was given two years to achieve this.

The latest monitoring results show that there is absolutely no decrease in plastic bottles in the environment. In fact, the number of bottles counted increased by 7% per measurement round. Alternative plans do not work, which is why a deposit on plastic bottles is being introduced.

Cans

Van Veldhoven is not yet making an immediate decision on the introduction of a deposit on cans. A deposit may also be introduced on cans a year later. If the sector does not succeed in achieving 70 to 90 per cent fewer cans in litter by autumn 2021, a deposit on cans will also be introduced. A decision on this will follow in autumn 2021, with a deposit on cans introduced by mid-2022.

The latest monitoring report shows that the number of cans on the street has risen even faster than the number of bottles, by no less than 16%. The business community has made no progress at all with plastic bottles over the past two years. The extra time they negotiated was part of a delaying tactic, hoping that postponement would eventually lead to cancellation. There is therefore no reason to assume that they would achieve results for cans.

More and more drinks producers are now supporting deposits, some publicly, others behind closed doors. We therefore call on the entire business community and politicians to solve the problem of cans in the environment by quickly deciding to introduce a deposit for them too. This decision can and should still be made during this cabinet term.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the expansion of the deposit system. In 2015, there were still calls to abolish deposits completely. Thanks to the efforts of many people, litter pickers, environmental organisations, all 1055 partners of the Deposit Alliance, government officials, MPs and the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven, the Netherlands is now taking an important step towards fewer plastic bottles in litter and a cleaner environment, conclude Recycling Netwerk, Natuur & Milieu, the Plastic Soup Surfer, Plastic Soup Foundation, Greenpeace and Stichting De Noordzee.

Contacts: Rob Buurman, director Recycling Netwerk Benelux 06 16401040