People returning their plastic bottles and cans in the Netherlands can expect to receive more statiegeld (deposit money) back, as the deposit is set to go up by 5 cents.

Low return rate of statiegeld bottles and cans in the Netherlands

According to De Telegraaf, sources have revealed that the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has plans to force the Verpact foundation - the organisation responsible for making sure packaging is collected and recycled, including the deposit system - to increase the statiegeld amount from 15 cents per bottle to 20 cents. The goal of the increase is to incentivise people to return their plastic bottles and cans - in 2022 and 2023, 133 million euros’ worth of statiegeld bottles were not returned.

Verpact is legally required to collect 90 percent of all plastic bottles and cans with the statiegeld scheme, however ILT states that the organisation has not managed to collect more than 77 percent over the years, as not enough people are returning their bottles and cans. This means that Verpact is sitting with a total of 502 million euros worth of deposits that have not been paid out. 

Verpact warns statiegeld increase is not the right solution

In response to talk about the ILT enforcing a temporary increase in the deposit amount, Verpact has emphasised in a press release that this would not be a good solution. “All research shows that people mainly return their packaging if it is easy. Not because there is an extra 5 cents to be earned,” said Hester Klein Lankhorst, chair of the board of Verpact.

Verpact also states that the financial increase would also mean that the organisation would no longer be able to invest in the installation of more deposit machines and believes the focus should be on encouraging cooperation among sellers of cans and bottles, like supermarkets and petrol stations. “The deposit that has not been collected by people has been invested in maintaining, improving and expanding collection points. In the past year alone, 522 new return locations have been created – all financed by Verpact itself, because many parties in the chain (such as petrol stations, public transport shops and festivals) are reluctant to install deposit machines.”

There are also concerns that a higher premium would increase the risk of the system being abused. “A temporary premium increases the risk of fraud, discussions on the street and deposit tourism. That is not desirable – not for the Dutch, not for shops, and not for the system as a whole,” said Klein Lankhorst.

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