Big cities spending millions cleaning up trash cans dumped out in search of deposit cans
People searching for cans and plastic bottles that can be returned for a deposit are causing a lot of damage and litter in the four large Dutch cities. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht together spend an estimated 9.4 million euros per year on repairing waste bins and cleaning up left-behind litter, AD reports based on a study commissioned by the four municipalities.
Research agency IPR Normag based its estimate mainly on specific research in the Rotterdam city center. There, the municipality spent 2.3 million euros in a year to clean up and repair damage resulting from the search for deposits.
The researchers called the deposit system “a catalyst for new and different litter” and the advent of “a new micro-economy.” For collectors, mainly people who live in poverty, deposits are a reliable source of income. “What started as incidental behavior has now become part of the daily street scene. In a few hours, 10 to 25 euros can be earned, which for some is essential for their livelihoods,” the researchers write.
That is obviously good news for the people involved, but it can cause problems in busy city centers. The researchers estimate that 75 to 80 percent of waste bins in the big cities’ busy areas are surrounded by litter, and about 20 percent are open or broken. People also go through household waste on bin day, which can also cause extra litter. During events, the search for deposit cans and bottles can take on a large-scale and organized form.
According to the researchers, deposit seeking is an economically and socially understandable phenomenon, and a “nuanced approach” is needed to combat the resulting nuisance.
The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) told AD that this type of nuisance mainly occurs in busy areas in large cities. Smaller cities and quieter areas are much less affected. The VNG hopes the government will oblige points of sale to set up collection points, so that consumers can return their cans and bottles in more places.
