A victory for the environment.
Countries like Finland, Germany, Scotland, Denmark, and Norway, now the Netherlands is finally following in their footsteps by an expansion of the current Deposit Return System (DRS). The society of Holland buys 2 billion canned beverages every year. And about 150 million of those tins end up in the natural environment. The system will involve a 15-cent deposit to be added to each can, similarly for deposits on small plastic bottles.
With the aim of reducing plastic waste in the environment from the 900 million bottles sold every year, deposits for small plastic bottles is adopted in 2021.
Now from April 1st, 2023, regardless of the type of drink they contain or from the kind of brand, a deposit of at least €0,15 is to become unavoidable for tin cans. Every reseller will be obligated to take in the cans and every manufacturer of such canned beverages will be responsible for implementing the deposit system. It must be designed in a consumer-friendly way.
Small businesses and Horeca have been officially excluded from deposits obligation by the government, for now.
The effective date of this scheme changed from January 1st to April 1st, 2023. Because of uncertainties in the delivery times for crucial pieces of equipment, the producers believe the delay is necessary. However, the Dutch government shows that this is no time to delay and abandon our environmental ambitions.
“I have always expressed my firm belief that one way or the other, we need to achieve a radical reduction in the volume of cans and small bottles in the street litter. The most effective method to combat street litter is altogether preventing people from disposing of waste in the environment. A deposit system appears to be the proper means to achieve this,” — Ms. Van Veldhoven, State Secretary.
COTIT can make good policy decisions possible that will be beneficial to society, the economy, and the environment.
