Review of the Afvalfonds plan for the collection of deposit cans outside supermarkets

Former State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven decided on 3 February 2021 that a collection system must be operational from 31 December 2022 to collect 90% of cans separately. The Afvalfonds (Packaging Waste Fund) published their plan on 14 December 2021: they want to collect deposit cans outside supermarkets, in so-called 'circular hubs'.

The 6 environmental organisations Recycling Netwerk Benelux, Natuur & Milieu, Plastic Soup Foundation, Stichting De Noordzee, Plastic Soup Surfer and Greenpeace reacted critically immediately. They have no confidence that the business community will succeed with that plan in setting up a fine-grained and consumer-friendly collection system by the deadline that meets the legal objectives. Other stakeholders such as Metal Packaging Netherlands also expressed similar criticism of the plan. Recycling Netwerk has now commissioned international research consultancy Eunomia, also known for studies for the European Commission, to review the plan of the Afvalfonds.

Assessment of achieving legal objectives and consumer-friendliness

“The plan of the Afvalfonds is full of assumptions. This assessment is intended to provide objective clarity: is it plausible that this plan will see an operational collection system in place by the end of this year that achieves the 90% separate collection target? That is the central research question,” says Recycling Netwerk Benelux.

The environmental organisations previously indicated that the complicated parallel system that the supermarkets want to set up cannot be an excuse for exceeding the legal deadline. The Afvalfonds itself says that the timeline is "tight". Research consultancy Eunomia will assess whether it is plausible that this system can be set up in the next 11 months, taking into account expected difficulties such as finding suitable and available locations for the 'circular hubs' outside supermarkets, arranging the many municipal permits and purchasing new machines suitable for outdoor use.

To assess whether it is plausible that this set-up will achieve the 90% separate collection target, Eunomia is conducting an international benchmark analysis, looking at the system design of deposit systems in other countries and the associated return performance. Eunomia is also assessing the plan for consumer-friendliness, as this is a determining factor for a high collection rate.

Debat about the plan of the Afvalfonds in the House of Representatives 

On 19 January 2022, MPs from D66, Partij voor de Dieren and GroenLinks requested a technical briefing and round-table discussion on deposits on cans in the Infrastructure and Water Management Committee of the House of Representatives. The committee accepted the proposal.

The Afvalfonds must present and defend its plan to the committee during the technical briefing. Several stakeholders will participate in the debate at the round-table discussion.

“The plans of the Afvalfonds have so far been made behind closed doors. It is a good thing that the plan will finally be discussed openly in the House of Representatives. All Dutch citizens will have to deal with the deposit system for cans in less than a year. It is in the interest of our environment, the circular economy and the many stakeholders that the deposit system is set up properly and meets the legal targets. "We intend to publish the objective review of the Afvalfonds' plan prior to the hearing in the House of Representatives, so that it can serve as input for the discussion," concludes Recycling Netwerk Benelux.

Former State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven decided on 3 February 2021 that a collection system must be operational from 31 December 2022 to collect 90% of cans separately. The Afvalfonds published their plan on 14 December 2021: they want to collect deposit cans outside supermarkets, in so-called 'circular hubs'.

The 6 environmental organisations Recycling Netwerk Benelux, Natuur & Milieu, Plastic Soup Foundation, Stichting De Noordzee, Plastic Soup Surfer and Greenpeace reacted critically immediately. They have no confidence that the business community will succeed with that plan in setting up a fine-grained and consumer-friendly collection system by the deadline that meets the legal objectives. Other stakeholders such as Metal Packaging Netherlands also expressed similar criticism of the plan. Recycling Netwerk has now commissioned international research consultancy Eunomia, also known for studies for the European Commission, to review the plan of the Afvalfonds.

Assessment of achieving legal objectives and consumer-friendliness

“The plan of the Afvalfonds is full of assumptions. This assessment is intended to provide objective clarity: is it plausible that this plan will see an operational collection system in place by the end of this year that achieves the 90% separate collection target? That is the central research question,” says Recycling Netwerk Benelux.

The environmental organisations previously indicated that the complicated parallel system that the supermarkets want to set up cannot be an excuse for exceeding the legal deadline. The Afvalfonds itself says that the timeline is "tight". Research consultancy Eunomia will assess whether it is plausible that this system can be set up in the next 11 months, taking into account expected difficulties such as finding suitable and available locations for the 'circular hubs' outside supermarkets, arranging the many municipal permits and purchasing new machines suitable for outdoor use.

To assess whether it is plausible that this set-up will achieve the 90% separate collection target, Eunomia is conducting an international benchmark analysis, looking at the system design of deposit systems in other countries and the associated return performance. Eunomia is also assessing the plan for consumer-friendliness, as this is a determining factor for a high collection rate.

Debate on the plan of the Afvalfonds in the House of Representatives

On 19 January 2022, MPs from D66, Partij voor de Dieren and GroenLinks requested a technical briefing and round-table discussion on deposits on cans in the Infrastructure and Water Management Committee of the House of Representatives. The committee accepted the proposal.

The Afvalfonds must present and defend its plan to the committee during the technical briefing. Several stakeholders will participate in the debate at the round-table discussion.

“The plans of the Afvalfonds have so far been made behind closed doors. It is a good thing that the plan will finally be discussed openly in the House of Representatives. All Dutch citizens will have to deal with the deposit system for cans in less than a year. It is in the interest of our environment, the circular economy and the many stakeholders that the deposit system is set up properly and meets the legal targets. "We intend to publish the objective review of the Afvalfonds' plan prior to the hearing in the House of Representatives, so that it can serve as input for the discussion," concludes Recycling Netwerk Benelux.