| Law Summary | 2003 Verpakkingsverordening Productschap Dranken ("Packaging Management Decree") |
| Date Implemented | Enacted in 2004, implemented in 2005 |
| Containers & Beverages Covered |
Plastic containers <1 L [1]:
Metal cans will be eligible starting from 31 December 2022. [2] |
| Refundable Deposit |
PET plastic bottles: €0.15 (US $0.28) |
| Handling Fees |
VBR: 0.06250€ ($0.071) per bottle |
| Unclaimed Deposits |
Retained by producer/importer |
| Program Success |
Return Rates: [3] |
Details
Previously, the deposit system in the Netherlands is voluntary; producers and importers are not required to register bottles in the deposit system. Some retailers have elected to establish their own deposit system; Aldi partially refunds deposits, and Lidi does not reimburse deposits. [4] According to the Netherlands Return Packaging Foundation (Stichting Retourverpakkingen NL), only one company was using refillable PET bottles as of late 2018. [5]
The Netherlands Ministry of Environment announced that the deposit scheme would become mandatary. It will be expanded on small PET bottles (less than 1 liter) by July 2021 and aluminum cans by December 2022. Previously, only plastic containers up to 0.8 liters containing water and soft drinks were accepted. [6] The deposit is €0.15 with a collection target goal of 90%. [7]
The system uses return-to-retail. About 11% of redemption is manual, and 89% uses automated systems (reverse vending machines/RVMs). [6]
One-way glass is recycled at drop-off sites; the recycling rate is estimated at 88%. Steel cans are removed from municipal solid waste prior to incineration.
Footnotes
[1] "Dutch introduce 15 cent deposits on small plastic drinks bottles from 2021." DutchNews. 25 April 2020.
[2] "Dutch environmental movement welcomes deposit return system for beverage cans." Recycling Network Benelux. 3 February 2021.
[3] Personal communication from Raymond Gianotten, Retourverpakking, Dec. 13, 2018 (RG 2018).
[4] "Sorteren." Retourverpakking, last accessed February 2020.
[5] Ibid.
[6] "Global Deposit Book 2020: An Overview of Deposit Systems for One-Way Beverage Containers." Reloop Inc. 15 December 2020.
[7] "Statiegeld op blik een feit." Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, 3 February 2021. Translated through personal correspondence with Wolfgang Ringel, TOMRA Systems.
[8] See Footnote [6].
Last Updated on 13 January 2022.