Deposit on bottles and cans in the Netherlands, after years of campaigning
Deposit return schemes now feel like second nature: you return your empty bottle or can to the supermarket and get 15 cents back. But for a long time, that was far from a certainty. After countless campaigns by FRF and others, the Netherlands finally introduced a deposit on small plastic bottles in 2021. This was followed by a deposit on cans in 2023. And we can see the difference on the streets. 70% fewer bottles and cans end up as litter.
2017: The Deposit Alliance
We have advocated for the expansion of deposit schemes since our founding. But in 2017, we founded the Deposit Alliance (Statiegeldalliantie), which rapidly grew public support in both the Netherlands and Belgium. The alliance grew to include more than 1,300 affiliated organisations and companies, and nearly all Dutch municipalities. Such widespread support for a deposit scheme was impossible for politicians to ignore.
2021: Deposit on bottles
On 1 July 2021, we achieved our first major victory: a deposit on all small plastic bottles was introduced in the Netherlands. However, cans were still excluded from the scheme, and cans also remained a persistent litter problem.
2023: Yes We Can
Following the success of the deposit on bottles, we launched the campaign for a deposit on cans: Yes We Can. In 2023, the result followed.
An unexpected ally helped us underscore the necessity of a deposit on cans: the dairy farming sector. Cows can become ill and even die because they accidentally eat shredded pieces of cans with their grass – cans that are thrown into pastures and shredded by mowing machines. It is estimated that a few thousand cows die every year due to litter.
Farmers supported our campaign, and not much later, there was a political majority in favour of a deposit on cans. On 1 April 2023, it became a reality.
Our work is not finished
It is wonderful that we finally have a deposit scheme for PET bottles and cans, but the flaws in the policy are less wonderful. The statutory collection target of 90% is still not being met. We are therefore calling for a mandatory return obligation at points of sale, for a higher deposit amount, and for a deposit on all beverage packaging, which means juice and dairy as well.
We turned to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate to enforce improvements, and we will continue to keep the pressure on the industry and politicians until the system actually works as it is intended.
At the same time, we continue to campaign for a deposit scheme in Belgium, because Belgium also deserves an environment with less litter.
