RTBF investigates Fost Plus's resistance to deposit return schemes

Belgians are already familiar with the machines that accept glass bottles, such as beer bottles, in exchange for a deposit. However, there is still no deposit on cans and plastic bottles. Cleaning up litter costs Wallonia 84 million euros every year. The industry's contribution is limited to 5 million per year to Fost Plus. Broadcast Wednesday 12 October at 20:15, can be followed live via https://t.co/z62vwDrywz Teaser: Investigation explores why deposit schemes were blocked for years, while other countries showed that they do work against litter. For this, they speak with Carlo Di Antonio, who was Walloon Environment Minister in 2014 and wanted to introduce a deposit scheme, and explains how the beverage manufacturers and supermarkets sector has been resisting for years. Fost Plus claims to have invested millions in new sorting systems for the expanded blue bag. The investigative journalists of Investigation also interview a livestock farmer who lost a cow after it ate shards of a beverage can. In the Netherlands, they meet Zwerfinator Dirk Groot, who shows how the deposit scheme in the Netherlands caused the number of plastic bottles in nature to plummet. “The wind is turning for the sector. A deposit scheme has never been so close”, writes journalist Quentin Ceuppens of the RTBF. After much persistence, Fost Plus agreed to his request for an interview. Fost Plus CEO Wim Geens announces an idea there: “a digital system where you scan the can or bottle at home with your smartphone”. With this, Fost Plus wants to avoid supermarkets having to take back empty cans and bottles, keeping the bottles and cans in the blue bag instead. However, in-store return works perfectly in all countries with deposit schemes, and also in Belgium for beer bottles. The system proposed by Fost Plus does not yet exist anywhere. Extract from the interview with Fost Plus CEO Wim Geens Full broadcast: Wednesday 12 October 2022 20:15, #Investigation, La Une, RTBF. Follow live on https://t.co/z62vwDrywz https://recyclingnetwerk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20221012-RTBF-Investigation-.mp4

Belgians are already familiar with the machines that accept glass bottles, such as beer bottles, in exchange for a deposit. However, there is still no deposit on cans and plastic bottles.

Cleaning up litter costs Wallonia 84 million euros every year. The industry's contribution is limited to 5 million per year to Fost Plus.

Broadcast Wednesday 12 October at 20:15, can be followed live via https://t.co/z62vwDrywz Teaser:

Investigation explores why deposit schemes were blocked for years, while other countries showed that they do work against litter. For this, they speak with Carlo Di Antonio, who was Walloon Environment Minister in 2014 and wanted to introduce a deposit scheme, and explains how the beverage manufacturers and supermarkets sector has been resisting for years. Fost Plus claims to have invested millions in new sorting systems for the expanded blue bag.

The investigative journalists of Investigation also interview a livestock farmer who lost a cow after it ate shards of a beverage can. In the Netherlands, they meet Zwerfinator Dirk Groot, who shows how the deposit scheme in the Netherlands caused the number of plastic bottles in nature to plummet.

“The wind is turning for the sector. A deposit scheme has never been so close”, writes journalist Quentin Ceuppens of the RTBF. After much persistence, Fost Plus agreed to his request for an interview. Fost Plus CEO Wim Geens announces an idea there: “a digital system where you scan the can or bottle at home with your smartphone”. With this, Fost Plus wants to avoid supermarkets having to take back empty cans and bottles, keeping the bottles and cans in the blue bag instead. However, in-store return works perfectly in all countries with deposit schemes, and also in Belgium for beer bottles. The system proposed by Fost Plus does not yet exist anywhere.

Extract from the interview with Fost Plus CEO Wim Geens

Full broadcast: Wednesday 12 October 2022 20:15, #Investigation, La Une, RTBF. Follow live on https://t.co/z62vwDrywz