Higher deposit on plastic bottles, cans on the way: report

Consumers may soon receive €0.20 instead of €0.15 deposit on plastic bottles or cans. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) plans to force the Verpact foundation to increase the deposit because too few cans and bottles are being returned, sources told De Telegraaf.

Verpact is the foundation that organizes the deposit system on behalf of businesses. It is legally required to collect 90 percent of all plastic bottles and cans, but it has not progressed beyond a 77 percent return rate. As a result, Verpact is left with around €502 million in deposits that have not been paid out because consumers didn’t return their bottles or cans.

According to the Telegraaf’s sources, the ILT will now force Verpact to increase the deposit on these items by 5 eurocents. The inspectorate hopes a higher deposit will encourage more consumers to claim their deposits by returning the packaging of their drinks.

Verpact director Hester Klein Lankhorst thinks that increasing the deposit is a terrible idea. “All studies show that it only helps a little if you increase the return amount. Consumers don’t want money, they want convenience,” she said. She also said she worries about fraud if the deposit increases. The current deposits already led to “scuffles at the shops,” she said. “That will only get worse if the premium for returning goes up.”

Klein Lankhorst told the Telegraaf that “untruths” are being told about Verpact having millions on the shelf. The newspaper called that remarkable, given that it was Verpact itself that reported that €132 million in deposits had not been paid out last year. The ILT reported an economic damage of €374 million in previous years.

According to Klein Lankhorst, “there is no question of hoarding money.” Vepract used the money to set up more collection points, she said, pointing out that 522 of these were installed last year.