Zuhal Demir's litter fines or the deposit system of the Netherlands?

This opinion piece previously appeared in De Standaard under the title "Old wine in new blue bags"

In 2019, the Flemish Waste Agency counted 22.6 million kilos of litter, a disastrous result. The Flemish government promised (in 2016) that next year's litter would be 'only' 14 million kilos. It is therefore 860 ten-ton trucks full of litter away from that goal on an annual basis. Increasingly, people are asking to follow the Dutch example. Deposits reduce beverage packaging in nature by seventy to ninety percent, according to research commissioned by the Dutch government. Up to ten times less waste on the streets.

Who is still against deposit return schemes? The food industry and supermarkets, through Comeos and Fevia, are lobbying against it. Fost Plus, the non-profit shey run together, also protests. But that's about it. The fact that supermarkets have been successfully taking back crates of beer with deposits for decades is something they remain silent about.

Who is in favour of deposit return schemes? In the meantime, 1,125 Dutch and Belgian organisations and businesses, including 205 Belgian cities and municipalities. Farmers, mayors, environmental activists and business leaders, side by side. And 8 out of 10 Belgians, from left to right. Never before has there been such broad support for an environmental measure.

The German and Dutch circular ambitions 

The Dutch government approved the deposit return scheme decision although it was already in caretaker status following the childcare benefits scandal (Toeslagenaffaire). Last month, the German government also decided to extend the deposit return scheme to juices, wine and dairy. Our neighbouring countries are home to global players Aldi, Lidl, Ahold Delhaize and Heineken. That did not stop liberal Mark Rutte and Christian democrat Angela Merkel. They placed a clean living environment above the objections of supermarket CEOs.

But there is more to it. The government leaders also want to prepare their companies for the circular economy. The European Single-Use Plastics Directive requires 90% separate collection of plastic bottles by 2029. Only deposit return schemes achieve these high percentages. A deposit return scheme will therefore be introduced in all EU member states this decade anyway. By introducing it now, Rutte and Merkel are boosting the know-how of their companies so that they are ready when that market expands to 400 million European consumers.

Litter fines and litter charters

CD&V minister Joke Schauvliege wanted to introduce a deposit return scheme in 2018. But under pressure from Comeos, Fevia and Fost Plus, the Bourgeois government decided to 'try once more without a deposit return scheme'. The harrowing result is well known after three years. Litter did not decrease, but is rising dramatically to a full 22.64 ten-ton trucks annually. The signs, the awareness campaigns and the fines yielded zero results.

The message is not hitting home. Now Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) proposes to increase the municipal administrative sanctions (GAS fines) for a discarded bottle or can from 350 euros to 500 euros. Fines have no deterrent effect if the chance of getting caught is low. Throwing away a can is done in a second. It is much harder to catch than, for example, a car that has been parked illegally for half an hour. Whether the fine is 500 or 1000 euros, it therefore makes no difference.

Identifying perpetrators is labour-intensive and expensive. An illegally parked car has a number plate. But nobody attaches their name tag to a discarded can. In this way, the Flemish taxpayer risks paying twice: once for the working hours of police officers analysing camera footage. And a second time for the clean-up costs that continue to rise until a deposit return scheme is introduced. Fines and charters will not reduce litter. And certainly not by the 8,600 tonnes needed to meet the target. More of the same, failing, policy will not cause a turn of the tide.

Decisiveness 

The problem is as clear as day, and so is the solution. There is no need for anything else to be 'studied' or 'evaluated'. All northern countries now use the tried-and-tested recipe of deposit return schemes. The Belgians are also fond of it. Eight out of ten Belgians are in favour, whether they vote left or right. And 205 mayors are asking to get Flanders and Belgium clean again with a deposit return scheme.

Ministers are not in office to sit back and watch. But to cut the knot and make decisions. What is more important? The concerns of a few supermarket CEOs or the living environment of all Flemings? The Brussels, Walloon and federal governments have already included the possibility of a deposit return scheme in their respective coalition agreements.

In the Netherlands, the deposit on all plastic bottles starts on July 1st. On cans, at the end of next year. That is called decisiveness and leadership. Mark Rutte's VVD and the State Secretary's D66 were not punished electorally for this at all; they won the general election with flying colours.

Together, we represent a Belgian consumer organisation, environmental organisations and a farmers' organisation. We definitely agree

This opinion piece previously appeared in De Standaard under the title "Old wine in new blue bags"

In 2019, the Flemish Waste Agency counted 22.6 million kilos of litter, a disastrous result. The Flemish government promised (in 2016) that next year's litter would be 'only' 14 million kilos. It is therefore 860 ten-ton trucks full of litter away from that goal on an annual basis. Increasingly, people are asking to follow the Dutch example. Deposits reduce beverage packaging in nature by seventy to ninety percent, according to research commissioned by the Dutch government. Up to ten times less waste on the streets.

Who is still against deposit return schemes? The food industry and supermarkets, through Comeos and Fevia, are lobbying against it. Fost Plus, the non-profit they run together, also protests. But that's about it. The fact that supermarkets have been successfully taking back crates of beer with deposits for decades is something they remain silent about.

Who is in favour of deposit return schemes? In the meantime, 1,125 Dutch and Belgian organisations and businesses, including 205 Belgian cities and municipalities. Farmers, mayors, environmental activists and business leaders, side by side. And 8 out of 10 Belgians, from left to right. Never before has there been such broad support for an environmental measure.

The German and Dutch circular ambitions

The Dutch government approved the deposit return scheme decision although it was already in caretaker status following the childcare benefits scandal (Toeslagenaffaire). Last month, the German government also decided to extend the deposit return scheme to juices, wine and dairy. Our neighbouring countries are home to global players Aldi, Lidl, Ahold Delhaize and Heineken. That did not stop liberal Mark Rutte and Christian democrat Angela Merkel. They placed a clean living environment above the objections of supermarket CEOs.

But there is more to it. The government leaders also want to prepare their companies for the circular economy. The European Single-Use Plastics Directive requires 90% separate collection of plastic bottles by 2029. Only deposit return schemes achieve these high percentages. A deposit return scheme will therefore be introduced in all EU member states this decade anyway. By introducing it now, Rutte and Merkel are boosting the know-how of their companies so that they are ready when that market expands to 400 million European consumers.

Litter fines and litter charters

CD&V minister Joke Schauvliege wanted to introduce a deposit return scheme in 2018. But under pressure from Comeos, Fevia and Fost Plus, the Bourgeois government decided to 'try once more without a deposit return scheme'. The harrowing result is well known after three years. Litter did not decrease, but is rising dramatically to a full 22.64 ten-ton trucks annually. The signs, the awareness campaigns and the fines yielded zero results.

The message is not hitting home. Now Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) proposes to increase the municipal administrative sanctions (GAS fines) for a discarded bottle or can from 350 euros to 500 euros. Fines have no deterrent effect if the chance of getting caught is low. Throwing away a can is done in a second. It is much harder to catch than, for example, a car that has been parked illegally for half an hour. Whether the fine is 500 or 1000 euros, it therefore makes no difference.

Identifying perpetrators is labour-intensive and expensive. An illegally parked car has a number plate. But nobody attaches their name tag to a discarded can. In this way, the Flemish taxpayer risks paying twice: once for the working hours of police officers analysing camera footage. And a second time for the clean-up costs that continue to rise until a deposit return scheme is introduced. Fines and charters will not reduce litter. And certainly not by the 8,600 tonnes needed to meet the target. More of the same, failing, policy will not cause a turn of the tide.

Decisiveness

The problem is as clear as day, and so is the solution. There is no need for anything else to be 'studied' or 'evaluated'. All northern countries now use the tried-and-tested recipe of deposit return schemes. The Belgians are also fond of it. Eight out of ten Belgians are in favour, whether they vote left or right. And 205 mayors are asking to get Flanders and Belgium clean again with a deposit return scheme.

Ministers are not in office to sit back and watch. But to cut the knot and make decisions. What is more important? The concerns of a few supermarket CEOs or the living environment of all Flemings? The Brussels, Walloon and federal governments have already included the possibility of a deposit return scheme in their respective coalition agreements.

In the Netherlands, the deposit on all plastic bottles starts on July 1st. On cans, at the end of next year. That is called decisiveness and leadership. Mark Rutte's VVD and the State Secretary's D66 were not punished electorally for this at all; they won the general election with flying colours.

Together, we represent a Belgian consumer organisation, environmental organisations and a farmers' organisation. We definitely do not agree on all environmental dossiers. On this one, however, we do. And with us, so do 1,125 municipalities, organisations and businesses through the Deposit Alliance. Flemish government, stop beating around the bush. Stop selling old wine in new skins. Follow the northern model for tackling litter. And finally decide on that simple measure that everyone is asking for. So that after the corona crisis we can step outside again in a much cleaner Flanders.

Tom Zoete, the Deposit Alliance and Fair Resource Foundation

Eric Claeys, General Farmers' Syndicate (ABS)

Tycho Van Hauwaert, Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL)

Simon November, Test Aankoop