[Open Letter] Litter must disappear: introduce an effective deposit on plastic bottles and cans

Plastic cans and bottles continue to flood Belgium. In the run-up to the elections, environmental, consumer, agricultural and anti-poverty organisations are calling on regional governments to introduce an effective deposit return scheme. Dear Minister Zuhal Demir, dear ministers of the Flemish Government, Dear Minister Céline Tellier, dear ministers of the Walloon Government, Dear Minister Alain Maron, dear ministers of the Brussels Government, Spring is just around the corner, the flowerbeds are in bloom... and so is the litter! The Spring Clean has just finished, but the litter is piling up again. In Wallonia, the situation is no better. It seems that the promises of a cleaner Belgium by your governments before the elections will not be kept. Let's take stock: what have governments done over the past 5 years? Regional targets have been set to reduce litter by 20%. These targets have not been met. This is despite numerous pilot projects on the return premium in Wallonia and Brussels and on the "digital" deposit return scheme in Flanders. Not to mention the major annual clean-up campaigns organised and financed by Mooimakers and Be WaPP, and De Click by Fost Plus. Nice initiatives, but they do not solve the underlying problem. The Belgian industry seems to be hoping for the arrival of new 'revolutionary' technology, such as the Click or the famous digital deposit. Or perhaps it hopes that litter will magically disappear? Deposits, a proven recipe for success Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are just some of the European countries where the introduction of traditional deposit return schemes with collection at the point of sale works. In these countries, almost no deposit-bearing cans and plastic bottles end up in the environment. So, instead of investing huge sums to reinvent the wheel, why not follow the example of our European neighbours? For a moment, things seemed to be going in the right direction. It seemed that your regional environment ministers finally agreed on the principle of a deposit return scheme. On the one hand, Flemish Minister Zuhal Demir declared that "deposits are inevitable". On the other hand, her Walloon colleague, Céline Tellier, recently declared that "we are only a few metres from the finish line", and the Brussels Minister for the Environment recently spoke out in favour of the classic deposit return scheme. Much rhetoric, but so far no real decision. Keeping promises The time you have left to take real action is limited by the upcoming election period. That is why we urge you to make a decision before the elections to introduce an effective deposit return scheme on plastic cans and bottles, as our neighbours have done. This should apply nationwide, and by the end of 2025, as promised. So that Belgium can finally sound the death knell for the plastic bottles and cans that litter our streets, injure our ruminants and pollute our fields. This will be the case across the country and by the end of 2025, as promised. Letter co-signed by: Algemeen Boerensyndicaat, ATD Fourth World, Boerenbond, Bond Beter Leefmilieu, Canal It Up, Canopea, Collectif de la Consigne Bruxelloise, Fair Resource Foundation, Fédération Wallonne de l’Agriculture, Ferm, FUGEA, Greenpeace, Gents Milieufront, Landelijke Gilden, Natuurpunt, Proper Strandlopers, Réseau Wallon de Lutte contre la Pauvreté, Testachats Related tags More articles on this topic

Plastic cans and bottles continue to flood Belgium. In the run-up to the elections, environmental, consumer, agricultural and anti-poverty organisations are calling on regional governments to introduce an effective deposit return scheme.

Dear Minister Zuhal Demir, dear ministers of the Flemish Government,Dear Minister Céline Tellier, dear ministers of the Walloon Government,Dear Minister Alain Maron, dear ministers of the Brussels Government,

Spring is just around the corner, the flowerbeds are in bloom... and so is the litter! The Spring Clean has just finished, but the litter is piling up again. In Wallonia, the situation is no better. It seems that the promises of a cleaner Belgium by your governments before the elections will not be kept.

Let's take stock: what have governments done over the past 5 years?

Regional targets have been set to reduce litter by 20%. These targets have not been met. This is despite numerous pilot projects on the return premium in Wallonia and Brussels and on the "digital" deposit return scheme in Flanders. Not to mention the major annual clean-up campaigns organised and financed by Mooimakers and Be WaPP, and De Click by Fost Plus. Nice initiatives, but they do not solve the underlying problem.

The Belgian industry seems to be hoping for the arrival of new 'revolutionary' technology, such as the Click or the famous digital deposit. Or perhaps it hopes that litter will magically disappear?

Deposits, a proven recipe for success

Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are just some of the European countries where the introduction of traditional deposit return schemes with collection at the point of sale works. In these countries, almost no deposit-bearing cans and plastic bottles end up in the environment. So, instead of investing huge sums to reinvent the wheel, why not follow the example of our European neighbours?

For a moment, things seemed to be going in the right direction. It seemed that your regional environment ministers finally agreed on the principle of a deposit return scheme. On the one hand, Flemish Minister Zuhal Demir declared that "deposits are inevitable". On the other hand, her Walloon colleague, Céline Tellier, recently declared that "we are only a few metres from the finish line", and the Brussels Minister for the Environment recently spoke out in favour of the classic deposit return scheme. Much rhetoric, but so far no real decision.

Keeping promises

The time you have left to take real action is limited by the upcoming election period. That is why we urge you to make a decision before the elections to introduce an effective deposit return scheme on plastic cans and bottles, as our neighbours have done. This should apply nationwide, and by the end of 2025, as promised.

So that Belgium can finally sound the death knell for the plastic bottles and cans that litter our streets, injure our ruminants and pollute our fields.This will be the case across the country and by the end of 2025, as promised.

Letter co-signed by: Algemeen Boerensyndicaat, ATD Fourth World, Boerenbond, Bond Beter Leefmilieu, Canal It Up, Canopea, Collectif de la Consigne Bruxelloise, Fair Resource Foundation, Fédération Wallonne de l’Agriculture, Ferm, FUGEA, Greenpeace, Gents Milieufront, Landelijke Gilden, Natuurpunt, Proper Strandlopers, Réseau Wallon de Lutte contre la Pauvreté, Testachats

Related tags

More articles on this topic

[IMAGE: https://fairresourcefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/signatories-letter-deposit-final-042024-1.png]