Cities and municipalities opposed to deposits via rubbish bins on the street | Domestic

The local authorities are “against any scenario in which the take-back of beverage packaging takes place via public rubbish bins or take-back machines on the public domain and local authorities have to play a role in the distribution of the home scanner,” it said. VVSG chairman Wim Dries fears that in such a case “it is inevitable that hidden costs will ultimately end up with the local authorities”.

According to the VVSG, “the economic, financial, social and ecological impact” of such a digital deposit system – which in practice usually works with QR codes that have to be scanned – has not yet been sufficiently evaluated and is not yet clear enough whether such a system will indeed help to reduce the amount of beverage packaging in litter. Another option than a digital system is the classic system, in which collection takes place via supermarkets, as is already done for glass bottles with a deposit.

The VVSG believes that the packaging industry and the distribution sector should be fully responsible for the introduction of a deposit system. “In any deposit system, there must be a role for supermarkets in terms of returns,” it says. The VVSG suggests investigating a combination of collection via the PMD bag at home and the supermarkets.

The association has forwarded its concerns to Flemish Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA). She does ask that the Flemish government adheres to the planned timing of 2025 to introduce a deposit system.

At the end of October, the socialist party Vooruit was in favor of a classic deposit system, with collection in stores, after a pilot project in Bredene.

Also read: Why a deposit if we are already recycling champions? What does it cost? And why must the entire society ‘pay’ for illegal dumpers? All questions about deposits on PMD answered (+)