Environmental movement enthusiastic about PvdA return premium initiative

A return premium for returning waste products can be a very effective incentive to ensure more and better recycling. The environmental movement is therefore enthusiastic about the initiative of the PvdA (Labour Party) to stop discussing the abolition of deposit schemes and to look ahead to a broad policy approach with return premiums for used products. However, only when this policy approach is firmly anchored in clear legislation could Dutch waste policy once again be at the forefront of European waste policy.

This year, the European Commission is working on tightening European waste policy and on policy aimed at establishing a circular economy. The goal is to achieve more and better collection and recycling. The initiative of PvdA MP Yasemin Cegerek to introduce return premiums on products such as toys, clothing and small beverage packaging is ahead of the curve. Many European countries are currently working on preparing deposit schemes, partly based on the advice of the European Commission. The introduction of return premiums fits in perfectly with this.

Recycling Netwerk, which represents the environmental movement in this area, is advocating for these return premiums to be properly (legally) regulated in the Packaging Decree and other waste decrees. Robbert van Duin, chairman of Recycling Netwerk, notes: "Deposit systems have never been properly regulated by law in the Netherlands and, as a result, they have been increasingly dismantled and put up for discussion. We are the only country in the world where there is a deposit on large plastic bottles, but not on small plastic bottles, and where people are even talking about abolition. With return premiums, we could get all kinds of discussions about the (minimum) level of the premium, special items being exempted, the place where items can be returned, etc. These sorts of things must be properly regulated beforehand. Consumers must know in advance what return premium they will receive when, for example, they buy a soft drink bottle or a beer can, and whether they can return it to their supermarket or a return shop along with, for example, empty batteries or discarded clothing."