Can, plastic bottle collection still below target; €374 mil. in deposit money unclaimed

Last year, more plastic bottles and cans were collected in the Netherlands, but the collection was still well below the 90 percent target. There were fewer bottles and cans among the litter on the street. All in all, Netherlands residents left 374 million euros in deposit money unclaimed, NOS reports based on figures from Verpact, previously the Afvalfonds - the organization responsible for the collection of plastic bottles and cans on behalf of companies.

One year after the introduction of a deposit on cans, about 65 percent of the cans were returned for a deposit. Verpact also estimates that 71 percent of plastic bottles were collected last year, 3 percent more than a year earlier.

The collection percentages continue to rise, and the amount of litter continues to decline, the organization said based on figures from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. “The number of small bottles found in litter decreased by 63 percent in the first half of 2023 compared to the first half of 2020,” Verpact said. “And in 2023, the lowest number of cans was found in at least eight years.”

The deposit on cans was introduced on 1 April 2023. Since 1 July 2021, consumers have paid 15 cents extra for disposable soft drink and water bottles smaller than 1 liter, which they can reclaim when returning the bottle.

In September, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate gave Verpact an official warning for failing to achieve the 90 percent target for plastic bottle collection in 2022. In that year, 68 percent of plastic bottles sold were collected. In December, Verpact submitted an improvement plan but added that it likely won’t achieve the legal target before 2026.

Verpact plans to increase collection by placing more deposit machines and manual collection points. It plans to eventually install 5,400 additional collection points - 800 in and near supermarkets and the rest in places “where many people gather every day.” That includes places like schools, train stations, and shopping centers. Last year, it installed over 400 new collection machines in supermarkets and replaced 600 devices with newer ones.

The organization is also launching tests outside supermarkets with the manual collection of damaged packaging. It expects that this will “signficantly” increase collection figures.