Photo: Shutterstock/Milos Ruzicka
The number of plastic bottles being returned for deposit has fallen short of the official target for years, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS. Since 2022, the target has been a 90% return rate, but last year, producers only managed 77%. As a result, regulators are now considering action.
Mandatory Fines for Producers #
The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) is not satisfied with the situation. Producers are responsible for ensuring plastic bottles don’t end up as litter, but they continue to fall short. Therefore, the inspectorate is demanding that producers persuade consumers to return more plastic bottles starting January 1, 2026.
Producers must choose between increasing the deposit on plastic bottles or paying a return bonus. If they fail to do so, the producer organization and deposit foundation, Verpact, will face millions in mandatory fines.
In a message from September, it was revealed that Verpact had already received a so-called ‘order subject to a penalty’ from the ILT. That message also highlighted the main problems, particularly from consumers’ perspectives. Common issues include the distance to a return point, the lack of a return point where the product is consumed, and long queues at return points. These factors lead to plastic bottles still ending up on the street.
Increase or Return Bonus? #
The regulator wants Verpact to increase the deposit to at least 30 cents for small bottles and 40 cents for large ones by early 2026. Verpact is responsible for the collection and recycling of packaging on behalf of the producers.
Another option is to offer a return bonus of at least 15 cents on top of the deposit. A combination of both is also possible. The goal is to achieve the 90% target.
If Verpact fails to meet this requirement, the organization must pay a penalty of €1.5 million per day, up to a maximum of €21 million. The ILT points to the enormous amounts of money involved in deposits. Between July 2021 and the end of 2024, half a billion euros in deposits went unclaimed.
Verpact’s Response #
Verpact has filed an objection with the ILT and initiated an urgent procedure to suspend these measures, arguing that financial incentives would be counterproductive. They have asked the Council of State to press the pause button.
In a mandatory study, Verpact claimed that consumers would not suddenly start returning significantly more bottles. In contrast, the inspectorate, based on the same study, said that tens of millions of additional bottles would be returned, otherwise a penalty would be pointless.
There is also a penalty for expanding the number of collection points from 5,000 to 9,500. For each collection point below the 9,500 target, Verpact must pay an additional €25,000.
The Council of State will deliver its ruling in two weeks.