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While Slovakia has managed to collect over 3.7 billion bottles since the introduction of deposit in 2022, in other countries this topic is still being passionately discussed. Why is this so? And what problems do some experts point out for which deposit is not an ideal solution?

The European Union has already issued a directive on single-use plastics, which aims to prevent the impact of plastics on the environment. It also aims to achieve 77 percent of plastic bottles separated by 2025 and then increase to 90 percent by 2029. One solution is to backfill plastic beverage containers, which helps reduce waste and at the same time contributes to the reuse of the material for the same purposes, from bottle to bottle and from can to can.

Slovakia met its return targets in just the second year. Source: slovenkozalohuje.sk

By introducing a deposit for all PET bottles and cans, Slovakia has joined 16 other European countries where the system is in place. For example, in Germany, the deposit has been in place since 2003 and has a collection rate of 98 percent. In Slovakia, the level of 92 percent was already reached last year, thus meeting the target for 2025, which experts set at 90 percent.

Despite positive examples from abroad, several European countries are preparing for deposit, for example in the form of approved legislation or are holding discussions. One such country is the Czech Republic, which should join next year. According to the Minister of the Environment, Peter Hladík, thanks to deposit, the Czech Republic should be able to recycle 90 percent of all plastic beverage containers sold by 2029.

The number of collection points is increasing year by year. Source: slovenkozalohuje.sk

How does it even work?

The price that a consumer pays in a store for a plastic bottle varies in different countries. In Slovakia, we pay 15 cents extra for each bottle or can in a store. In Germany, the price is set at 25 cents, which is more than for glass bottles. In the Czech Republic, it should be 4 crowns. However, if we return the packaging, we will get our money back. In Slovakia, we can return it in any store that is involved in the deposit system and has a collection point. Stores with an area of over 300 m² have a mandatory collection point, which must also return the deposit to the consumer in cash. Simple, right?

In practice, however, this meant a number of changes. Stores had to invest in deposit machines, smaller stores had to register, and the whole process required administrative and financial costs. Beverage sellers had to register, register EAN codes, and each returnable package had to contain the “Z” symbol. Currently, over 3,500 collection points are involved in Slovakia, and sellers have registered more than 5,700 EAN codes. However, consumers must be careful to return only undamaged and unwrinkled packages, otherwise it will not be possible to get a deposit back for them. After returning them, the machine sorts and compresses them to make transportation and subsequent processing more efficient.

If we look at the share of beverages on the Slovak market, by the end of last year 57 percent of beverages were in plastic packaging and 43 percent in cans. The largest number is soft drinks (33 percent), beers (29 percent) and bottled waters (26 percent). Despite the novelty, more than 70 percent of all packaging sold was collected in the first year. The experts set a target of 60 percent.

Opinions: ecological aid or unnecessary bureaucracy?

The biggest advantages are the reduction of waste and the possibility of reuse. The material from collected plastic packaging can be reused to produce new bottles or cans based on the principles of the circular economy. This saves natural resources and fights against littering. Statistics in Slovakia alone show a high return. Last year, 2.9 million bags of plastic packaging were collected and the sorting center processed more than 20,000 tons of PET material and almost 7,000 tons of material from cans.

For supporters, the deposit is clear evidence that even ordinary people can easily contribute to a cleaner environment. Critics, however, point out problems with the registration of packaging and the financial burden. “I can evaluate the system as such well from the customer’s point of view. Unfortunately, from the point of view of small and medium-sized enterprises, it is an unnecessary financial and administrative burden for us,” said the owner and brewer of the Svätojánske pivovar, Juraj Gajdoš. According to some sellers, the storage of packaging is also problematic, as customers return plastic bottles even during the weekend, when waste is not collected.

The 2024 meta-analysis also points out that despite the high return rate of packaging, the system also faces high initial costs or resistance from manufacturers or retailers. Inconsistency of policies and adaptability to market changes can also be problematic. Another disadvantage is the inability to return bottles in all stores. The Czech Republic has therefore taken inspiration from abroad and packaging will also be collected in much smaller stores than in Slovakia.

Speculators, who were already exposed by the Slovak Trade Inspection in the past, also caused problems. These were situations where manufacturers used the same packaging in different countries. The seller therefore bought the drink in a country without a deposit system, but after importing it to Slovakia, he did not register it and had the customer pay the deposit. The customer was able to return the packaging, but the problem was with the manufacturers, who were returning the packaging without having paid for it in advance.

Last year, 2.9 million bags of plastic packaging were collected. Source: slovenkozalohuje.sk

Where do we move next?

Back-up has moved forward in recent years and administrators are bringing new ideas to motivate people to back-up. One of them is alternative locations , which can be, for example, a restaurant, an event or a hiking trail. The collection of back-up bottles also works at Beckov Castle, which is the first cultural monument in Slovakia where such an alternative location has been established.

The system administrator’s cooperation with cities and municipalities in Slovakia is also a step forward. One of the activities is the education of children in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. The campaign is intended to explain why back-up is important. Another activity is the possibility of donating the sealed packaging for charitable purposes. “The money collected will be used primarily for charitable, social or sports purposes, to develop life and support communities within the city or municipality,” said Jozef Božik, chairman of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of Slovakia.

Bottle back-up in Slovakia has shown over the past three years that changing consumer behavior is possible. The question remains, however, whether it will be a permanent solution or just a transitional step towards even more efficient recycling methods.

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