Environmental movement asks for a decision on deposit on cans during this government term

There must be a deposit on all cans, regardless of their content. There must be a take-back obligation for retail outlets. And environmental organisations advise a minimum deposit of 25 euro cents.

This is what Recycling Netwerk Benelux, Natuur & Milieu, Plastic Soup Foundation, the Plastic Soup Surfer, Greenpeace and Stichting de Noordzee write in the position paper, with which they jointly respond to the Draft Decision on Measures for metal beverage packaging published on 9 October 2020.

Take the decision during this governing period

The number of cans in nature is not falling. On the contrary, in the first half of 2020 they rose by 19 per cent, according to Rijkswaterstaat's monitoring, which the State Secretary sent to the House of Representatives. The government can therefore already conclude that the performance target of a 70% reduction in cans in litter by autumn 2021 cannot be met. Deposits on cans are therefore inevitable. Waiting longer to make the decision is not necessary, say the environmental organisations.

When the figures for the number of plastic bottles in litter rose by 7%, the State Secretary brought the decision point forward in autumn 2019. The environmental organisations are now asking her to do the same for cans, which are rising even faster at 19%.

In addition, a second performance agreement has been made with the business sector, namely 90% separate collection of cans. There is currently no system or structure in place for the business sector to meet this target.

An increasing number of stakeholders from the business community want clarity quickly. There is also a clear political will to introduce a deposit on cans: the draft decision is an implementation of the motions proposed by Paternotte et al. and Dik-Faber et al., which the House of Representatives adopted in October 2019.

Focus on reducing litter

Reducing beverage containers in nature must be the main objective of this legislation, and therefore a number of loopholes in the legislation must also be closed, write the six environmental organisations.

The regulations should apply to all cans, regardless of their content. So in addition to cans containing water, soft drinks, beer or low-alcohol drinks, cans containing dairy products and juices must also be included in the deposit scheme. Of these, 20 million and 10 million units are sold annually, according to figures from 2016. Under deposit systems in other countries, juices are very regularly collected without any problem.

The loophole allowing cans from non-separate collection to also be counted towards the 90% separate collection target is illogical and undesirable. Setting the door ajar to achieve this target through cans from PMD (plastic, metal and drinking cartons) or residual waste undermines the positive effect of the target on the share of cans in litter beforehand.

The environmental organisations are also calling for a deposit on squeeze pouches, which are frequently found in litter. Indeed, deposits should not lead to a situation where other deposit-free packaging simply ends up in the environment more often.

Increase the minimum deposit amount

To achieve a high collection rate, two factors are decisive: the level of the deposit and the convenience with which consumers can return the bottles. In her letter to the House of Representatives, the State Secretary proposes a statutory minimum deposit of 15 euro cents for cans. At that amount, CE Delft estimates the return rate at around 88%.

A separate collection target of 90% is laid down in the deposit legislation. It is illogical to opt for a minimum deposit amount that the government already knows is unlikely to achieve the legally established target. According to CE Delft, a deposit amount of 25 euro cents does yield a return rate of 90%. Therefore, the six environmental organisations advise opting for a minimum deposit of 25 euro cents for all beverage packaging.

Take-back obligation for retail outlets

Finally, the success of a deposit system also depends on a clear and extensive network of return points. If certain retail outlets do not accept cans, this can negatively affect collection and recycling figures. The environmental organisations are therefore urging that a statutory obligations for retail outlets to take back all deposit packaging be included in the decision, as is the case in Germany, Lithuania and Norway, among others.

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AD, Environmental groups: Make haste with introducing a deposit on cans