Return premium project shows that deposits work, even with the handbrake on

The system used has been made much more complicated than the deposit return systems abroad. The project therefore shows what the potential of a real deposit return system could be.

In the Brussels project, people receive a voucher when they return cans to one of the three collection points. Partners in the project are the City of Brussels, the ULB, the UCLouvain and also Fost Plus, the non-profit organisation founded by the companies that put packaging on the market.

In this article, we take a closer look at the similarities and differences between this reward-for-return system and a real deposit return system, on which a fierce debate is currently raging in Belgium.

What does the reward-for-return project look like?

From 2 April, there will be two machines on the ULB-Solbosch university campus and the UCLouvain campus in Woluwe, and one machine in the City of Brussels. "For each can returned, you will receive a return premium of 5 euro cents in the form of a voucher at our partner businesses," according to the project's official website, retourpremie.brussels.

Analysis of the similarities and differences between the reward-for-return project and deposit return systems

Just like with a deposit return system, people receive a reward when they hand in a can. But the project also differs in a number of key ways from an effective deposit return system like the one that has successfully helped keep neighbourhoods clean and achieve high recycling rates in Scandinavia and Germany for years.

The amount

In the reward-for-return project, a consumer receives 5 euro cents for each returned can in the form of a voucher.

In deposit return systems, the amounts are often higher. 10 to 30 euro cents in various Scandinavian countries, 25 euro cents on large PET bottles in the Netherlands, and on cans and plastic bottles in Germany. Scotland, which decided to introduce a deposit return system earlier this month, provides 23 euro cents per beverage container. The level of the deposit amount has a clean impact on the return rate, according to the study by CE Delft, Costs and effects of deposits on small bottles and cans, August 2017.

Image source: CE Delft, Costs and effects of deposits on small bottles and cans, August 2017.

The form of reward

In the reward-for-return project, the consumer receives a voucher at the collection point, which they can redeem at the partner businesses. The place where the consumer hands in their cans is therefore different from the place where they can redeem their reward. The list on retourpremie.be contains only 3 collection points and only 7 businesses.

In deposit return systems, on the other hand, consumers get their deposit back in cash or as a reduction on their purchase. The deposit can be reclaimed at almost all retail outlets. There are therefore many more places where you can hand in your cans and get your deposit on the spot. This visibility makes it easier for consumers, which ensures that more returns happen.

Limitation on the quantity of cans

In the reward-for-return project, people are asked to only return cans from litter: "Are households allowed to collect their cans and bring them to the machine? That is not the aim of the project. We want to test a system that allows us to simultaneously improve the recycling of cans and the cleanliness of the streets. Households continue to collect their cans in the blue bag. We count on citizens to play the game," says the website retourpremie.brussels.

In foreign deposit return systems, it naturally applies to all cans. Whether they are consumed at home or outdoors makes no difference to the right to a deposit. The fewer cans excluded, the more successful the system.

Limitation on the amount

In the reward-for-return project, a consumer can use a maximum of €1.25 in vouchers per day/person. In deposit return systems, on the other hand, there is no cap on the deposit you can get.

Conclusion of Recycling Netwerk

The reward-for-return project therefore contains a series of limitations on user-friendliness and attractiveness. The combination of the low amount, the difficult redemption method, the limited number of collection points, the limited number of participating businesses, the maximum cap and the limitation to cans from litter all act as brakes on the functioning of the pilot project.

It is therefore particularly remarkable that, despite all these restrictions and hurdles, 40,000 cans were collected in 42 days, according to figures from Bruzz. That is an average of more than 300 cans per collection point per day. By comparison, a reverse vending machine in Norway takes in an average of 740 cans and bottles per day.

“Even though the pilot project was made needlessly complicated, it still works! It shows just how high public demand is for a real deposit return system. This system only earns them a fraction of what a real deposit system would

The system used has been made much more complicated than the deposit return systems abroad. The project therefore shows what the potential of a real deposit return system could be.

In the Brussels project, people receive a voucher when they return cans to one of the three collection points. Partners in the project are the City of Brussels, the ULB, the UCLouvain and also Fost Plus, the non-profit organisation founded by the companies that put packaging on the market.

In this article, we take a closer look at the similarities and differences between this reward-for-return system and a real deposit return system, on which a fierce debate is currently raging in Belgium.

What does the reward-for-return project look like?

From 2 April, there will be two machines on the ULB-Solbosch university campus and the UCLouvain campus in Woluwe, and one machine in the City of Brussels. "For each can returned, you will receive a return premium of 5 euro cents in the form of a voucher at our partner businesses," according to the project's official website, retourpremie.brussels.

Analysis of the similarities and differences between the reward-for-return project and deposit return systems

Just like with a deposit return system, people receive a reward when they hand in a can. But the project also differs in a number of key ways from an effective deposit return system like the one that has successfully helped keep neighbourhoods clean and achieve high recycling rates in Scandinavia and Germany for years.

The amount

In the reward-for-return project, a consumer receives 5 euro cents for each returned can in the form of a voucher.

In deposit return systems, the amounts are often higher. 10 to 30 euro cents in various Scandinavian countries, 25 euro cents on large PET bottles in the Netherlands, and on cans and plastic bottles in Germany. Scotland, which decided to introduce a deposit return system earlier this month, provides 23 euro cents per beverage container. The level of the deposit amount has a clean impact on the return rate, according to the study by CE Delft, Costs and effects of deposits on small bottles and cans, August 2017.

Image source: CE Delft, Costs and effects of deposits on small bottles and cans, August 2017.

The form of reward

In the reward-for-return project, the consumer receives a voucher at the collection point, which they can redeem at the partner businesses. The place where the consumer hands in their cans is therefore different from the place where they can redeem their reward. The list on retourpremie.be contains only 3 collection points and only 7 businesses.

In deposit return systems, on the other hand, consumers get their deposit back in cash or as a reduction on their purchase. The deposit can be reclaimed at almost all retail outlets. There are therefore many more places where you can hand in your cans and get your deposit on the spot. This visibility makes it easier for consumers, which ensures that more returns happen.

Limitation on the quantity of cans

In the reward-for-return project, people are asked to only return cans from litter: "Are households allowed to collect their cans and bring them to the machine? That is not the aim of the project. We want to test a system that allows us to simultaneously improve the recycling of cans and the cleanliness of the streets. Households continue to collect their cans in the blue bag. We count on citizens to play the game," says the website retourpremie.brussels.

In foreign deposit return systems, it naturally applies to all cans. Whether they are consumed at home or outdoors makes no difference to the right to a deposit. The fewer cans excluded, the more successful the system.

Limitation on the amount

In the reward-for-return project, a consumer can use a maximum of €1.25 in vouchers per day/person. In deposit return systems, on the other hand, there is no cap on the deposit you can get.

Conclusion of Recycling Netwerk

The reward-for-return project therefore contains a series of limitations on user-friendliness and attractiveness. The combination of the low amount, the difficult redemption method, the limited number of collection points, the limited number of participating businesses, the maximum cap and the limitation to cans from litter all act as brakes on the functioning of the pilot project.

It is therefore particularly remarkable that, despite all these restrictions and hurdles, 40,000 cans were collected in 42 days, according to figures from Bruzz. That is an average of more than 300 cans per collection point per day. By comparison, a reverse vending machine in Norway takes in an average of 740 cans and bottles per day.

“Even though the pilot project was made needlessly complicated, it still works! It shows just how high public demand is for a real deposit return system. This system only earns them a fraction of what a real deposit system would do. But even so, people still participate. Consumers want to get rid of their cans in the most environmentally friendly way possible. The engine of deposit return is so powerful that it still moves forward with the handbrake on,” analyses environmental organisation Recycling Netwerk Benelux.