EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 06/25 www.petpla.net 14 On return locations, all but one European DRS features “return-toretail” collection. Here, stores selling eligible drinks, often grocery retailers, receive that packaging back for recycling. (Iceland is the exception, instead using recycling depots.) Legislation typically requires retail participation based on a store’s size (Croatia and Estonia oblige retailers over 200m2), while smaller stores can participate if they wish. Sweden and the Netherlands have no legal obligation on retailers, but most retailers have joined voluntarily. Some countries complement retail returns with kiosks (Denmark and Sweden) or HORECA pick-up (Estonia and Finland); amusement parks, schools, and airports have also become return points. Offering convenient locations for consumers and faster roll-out for legislators, return-to-retail collection brings stores higher footfall and financial incentives like handling fees. Stores gain an opportunity to help collect a retail product that can otherwise end up as litter. Source: Tomra The EU’s legislative framework for deposit return schemes “The legislative landscape in Europe is also increasingly recognizing DRSs as a proven tool to drive high quality collection and the recycling rate, circularity, and packaging waste prevention,” explains Thomas Morgenstern. The European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), adopted in 2019, aims to reduce the impact of plastic products on the environment. The SUPD mandates plastic bottles must contain at least 25% recycled content by 2025, and 30% by 2030. It also requires each EU member state to separately collect 77% of single-use plastic bottles for recycling by 2025, rising to 90% by 2029. “Although the SUPD did not mandate a means to achieve these goals, experts stated it would be difficult to impossible to achieve 90% return rates without deposit systems,” Thomas Morgenstern adds. The EU’s Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), voted into law in December 2024, extends the SUPD’s efforts and aims to harmonise recycling across Europe. The PPWR goes a step further, requiring each EU member state to implement a deposit system for cans and plastic bottles by 2029, to achieve the goals for separate collection and recycled content. The PPWR states DRSs should span drinks in plastic or metal containers up to 3L in size, but can exempt containers under 0.1L. Member states should also endeavor to include glass and cartons where appropriate. The PPWR also sets minimum requirements for DRSs, such as a sufficient deposit value, clearly labelled containers, and reinvestment of unredeemed refunds into public education on the deposit system. Source: Tomra Results of deposit return schemes across Europe DRSs have led to high collection rates and recycling rates. Germany today boasts drinks container return rates exceeding 98%, and Norway achieves 92%. Lithuania jumped from a return rate below 34% before its deposit system, to an impressive 92% just two years later. Slovakia reached a return rate over 70% in its first year, exceeding its goal of 60%. “Most recently, within seven months of Ireland’s DRS launch in February 2024, the country achieved a 73% return rate, putting it well on track to reach the EU collection target of 77% by the end of 2025.” DRSs also see substantial reductions in litter. In Norway, less than 1% of drink containers are littered, and only one in eight bottles washed up on the coastline are Norwegian; the rest come from neighboring countries. Two Torus Total Quality Lab Come check out the newest automated bottle testing equipment at DrinkTec 2025! Stand C6-249 Scan for all your beverage testing needs The ultimate in automated container testing
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