In a measure intended to significantly reduce plastics litter on Dutch streets, the government will introduce a bottle deposit scheme on 1 July 2021 that targets small bottles having a volume of 1 litre or less. Stientje van Veldhoven, state secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, said although the coronavirus is the Dutch government’s top priority, she is continuing efforts to combat plastics litter.

A EUR 0.15 deposit will be added to each small bottle when the scheme takes effect. The current deposit on bottles larger than 1 litre will remain at EUR 0.25. Of the approximately 900m small plastic bottles that are sold every year, around 100m end up in the environment. Under the Dutch deposit system, an estimated 90% of small and large plastic bottles will be returned.

Manufacturers of the drinks bottles are responsible for the implementation and the costs of the new deposit-return scheme, which will require new collection machines, equipment to flatten the bottles and arrangements regarding transportation and sorting. An implementation organisation will be set up to assist all the collecting parties in rolling out the deposit system next year.

Bottles will be able to be returned at around 12,000 collection points. This includes supermarkets having a store footprint larger than 200 m and through caterers, or at train stations with manned sales booths as well as large petrol stations along motorways. Schools and sports clubs may volunteer to set up a collection point, while hotels, restaurants, cafés and small businesses will be exempt from the obligation to collect small bottles.

The initiative for a deposit on small bottles stems from agreements made in 2018 between the Dutch business community and the association of Dutch municipalities VNG (The Hague; www.vng.nl) representing the interests of the 355 municipalities to achieve 70-90% reduction in the number of small plastic bottles ending up in the environment. Failure to accomplish the goal would entail the introduction of a deposit system and this is the case now, said van Veldhoven. “The introduction of a deposit scheme requires about a year of preparation. That is why we are now making things clear for all parties concerned.”

Van Veldhoven is also pursuing a strategy to reduce the number of drink cans in the environment that is similar to the approach pertaining to bottles. A deposit scheme for cans will be promptly introduced if the number of cans in street litter is not reduced by 70-90% by the autumn of 2021. Preparations for the legislation and regulations regarding a deposit on cans have already commenced. A PET deposit programme was scrapped in favour of kerbside and public recycling (see Plasteurope.com of 19.04.2012).