How drink cans are life-threatening to cows

Livestock farmer Eline Vedder lost 3 young, heavily pregnant cows in one week because they had ingested shards of beverage cans. This problem affects thousands of cows in the Netherlands. That is why we are asking the government to also apply deposit legislation to beverage cans.

On Friday morning, livestock farmer Eline Vedder demonstrated to Members of Parliament Maurits von Martels (CDA), Carla-Dik Faber (ChristenUnie) and journalists how difficult it is to protect her cows from damage caused by cans. The cans are difficult to see in the tall grass. When mowing with a mowing machine, they splinter into countless small sharp pieces in the animal feed. That is why she is in favour of a deposit system.

Member of Parliament Maurits von Martels (CDA) also attended the farmers' demonstration on Friday. Von Martels is also a dairy farmer himself. He declared to the AD: “I am also familiar with the problems and especially the consequences. At the CDA, we long thought we could educate people in terms of decency and that people would understand that cans do not belong in nature, but it doesn't work. We are now of the opinion that a deposit should also be introduced on cans. We hope that the deposit on PET bottles will be introduced in 2021 and I will also submit a motion that a deposit must also be paid for cans by 2022 at the latest.’’

The CDA MP also told Trouw that he thinks a deposit on cans could offer a solution: “You can now see the need for change. I am hopeful that by introducing a deposit on cans, we can finally make a real difference.”

Thousands of affected cattle

Cattle regularly fall victim to cans. The small pieces injure the cows' stomachs, veterinarian Leen Stam explained. These internal injuries lead to illness or even death of the animal. It is virtually impossible for farmers to protect cows from damage caused by cans. Metal detectors on the mowing machine and magnets in the cows' stomachs offer no solution. After all, more and more cans, for example from Red Bull, are made of aluminium, which is not attracted by magnets.

In the Netherlands, an estimated 12,000 cows suffer hardware disease every year as a result of litter. Of these, around 4,000 cattle die annually.

Deposit also on cans

Following these research results, the organisation for agricultural entrepreneurs LTO Nederland previously joined the Deposit Alliance. LTO, which represents nearly 50,000 agricultural entrepreneurs, is thus calling for the introduction of a deposit on bottles and cans.

Prevention is better than cure. Only by preventing cans from being thrown away can livestock farmers be helped in their fight against this silent cow killer. The most effective preventive measure against cans in nature is a deposit. You can see this, for example, in Germany, where no cans end up on the roadside.

State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven (D66) has provided for a deposit scheme for small plastic bottles; but for the time being not for beverage cans.

In all other 40 countries with a deposit on plastic bottles, cans are also included in the system. There it proves to be a very effective tool: it reduces the number of cans and bottles that end up in the environment by 70 to 90 per cent, according to the report by CE Delft.

Both the Scottish and French governments decided in recent months to introduce a deposit on bottles and cans. In Slovakia, parliament voted on Wednesday for a law on a deposit on bottles and cans. In Belgium, the Brussels and Walloon regions decided in their coalition agreements to work on a deposit on bottles and cans.

In early October, the Dutch House of Representatives will hold another General Consultation on the Circular Economy.

AD, Cows bleed to death due to shards in pasture: ‘Introduce deposit on cans’, 14 September 2019

Trouw, Deposit on cans can save the cow's life, 14 September 2019

RTL Nieuws, 4000 cows die annually due to cans in the pasture, 13 September 2019

RTV Utrecht, Cans in pasture deadly for cows: “You can't sleep anymore because of the stress”, 13 September 2019

Livestock farmer Eline Vedder lost 3 young, heavily pregnant cows in one week because they had ingested shards of beverage cans. This problem affects thousands of cows in the Netherlands. That is why we are asking the government to also apply deposit legislation to beverage cans.

On Friday morning, livestock farmer Eline Vedder demonstrated to Members of Parliament Maurits von Martels (CDA), Carla-Dik Faber (ChristenUnie) and journalists how difficult it is to protect her cows from damage caused by cans. The cans are difficult to see in the tall grass. When mowing with a mowing machine, they splinter into countless small sharp pieces in the animal feed. That is why she is in favour of a deposit system.

Member of Parliament Maurits von Martels (CDA) also attended the farmers' demonstration on Friday. Von Martels is also a dairy farmer himself. He declared to the AD: “I am also familiar with the problems and especially the consequences. At the CDA, we long thought we could educate people in terms of decency and that people would understand that cans do not belong in nature, but it doesn't work. We are now of the opinion that a deposit should also be introduced on cans. We hope that the deposit on PET bottles will be introduced in 2021 and I will also submit a motion that a deposit must also be paid for cans by 2022 at the latest.’’

The CDA MP also told Trouw that he thinks a deposit on cans could offer a solution: “You can now see the need for change. I am hopeful that by introducing a deposit on cans, we can finally make a real difference.”

Thousands of affected cattle

Cattle regularly fall victim to cans. The small pieces injure the cows' stomachs, veterinarian Leen Stam explained. These internal injuries lead to illness or even death of the animal. It is virtually impossible for farmers to protect cows from damage caused by cans. Metal detectors on the mowing machine and magnets in the cows' stomachs offer no solution. After all, more and more cans, for example from Red Bull, are made of aluminium, which is not attracted by magnets.

In the Netherlands, an estimated 12,000 cows suffer hardware disease every year as a result of litter. Of these, around 4,000 cattle die annually.

Deposit also on cans

Following these research results, the organisation for agricultural entrepreneurs LTO Nederland previously joined the Deposit Alliance. LTO, which represents nearly 50,000 agricultural entrepreneurs, is thus calling for the introduction of a deposit on bottles and cans.

Prevention is better than cure. Only by preventing cans from being thrown away can livestock farmers be helped in their fight against this silent cow killer. The most effective preventive measure against cans in nature is a deposit. You can see this, for example, in Germany, where no cans end up on the roadside.

State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven (D66) has provided for a deposit scheme for small plastic bottles; but for the time being not for beverage cans.

In all other 40 countries with a deposit on plastic bottles, cans are also included in the system. There it proves to be a very effective tool: it reduces the number of cans and bottles that end up in the environment by 70 to 90 per cent, according to the report by CE Delft.

Both the Scottish and French governments decided in recent months to introduce a deposit on bottles and cans. In Slovakia, parliament voted on Wednesday for a law on a deposit on bottles and cans. In Belgium, the Brussels and Walloon regions decided in their coalition agreements to work on a deposit on bottles and cans.

In early October, the Dutch House of Representatives will hold another General Consultation on the Circular Economy.

AD, Cows bleed to death due to shards in pasture: ‘Introduce deposit on cans’, 14 September 2019 Trouw, Deposit on cans can save the cow's life, 14 September 2019 RTL Nieuws, 4000 cows die annually due to cans in the pasture, 13 September 2019 RTV Utrecht, Cans in pasture deadly for cows: “You can't sleep anymore because of the stress”, 13 September 2019