Deposit on bottles and cans in Belgium: a no-brainer (which is already long overdue)

Belgians have been used to deposits on glass bottles for decades. A large majority of citizens are in favour of expanding the system to cans and plastic bottles. This is not out of the blue, as litter is a huge annoyance for many people.

Belgians already recycle at home via the ‘blue bag’, but not all packaging ends up in there. By 2029, European regulations require Belgium to collect at least 90% of all cans and plastic bottles separately. This improves the quality of recycling and reduces our dependence on new fossil raw materials. Today, we are still (far) from achieving these targets. Different policies are urgently needed to avoid European fines. 

Why, then, do Belgian politicians continue to drag their feet? Active lobbying from the business community has for years been doing what we call ‘meestribbelen’ (passive-aggressive cooperation): they pretend to cooperate, but are actually aiming for postponement or cancellation.

It is high time that the major beverage producers and Belgian supermarkets take responsibility and commit to an efficient and accessible deposit system that works for everyone. After all, deposits are a proven effective means of preventing damage caused by litter: to animals and nature, and in cities and municipalities. Because they are the ones currently bearing the costs of cleaning it up.

Examples from neighbouring countries show that deposits work: they lead to less litter (up to 80% fewer bottles and cans in the Netherlands), an increase in collection, and recouped investments. 

This is why Fair Resource Foundation, as a co-founder of the Statiegeldalliantie (Deposit Alliance), has been campaigning for years for the introduction of a deposit system in Belgium. Germany started 20 years ago, the Netherlands 5 years ago, and France recently announced its introduction. Belgium cannot and must not be left behind.