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A Deposit Return System (DRS) is indeed a popular solution for promoting the sustainable management of single-use beverage containers. It aims to encourage recycling and reduce litter by providing a financial incentive for consumers to return their empty containers.
In a typical DRS, a deposit fee is added to the price of a beverage container at the point of purchase. When the consumer is finished with the drink, they can return the empty container to designated collection points, such as recycling centers or reverse vending machines. In return, they receive a refund of the deposit they paid. Leading deposit systems routinely collect more than 90% of the packaging they place on the market (Reloop, 2020).
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What if the problem of bottles and cans polluting our neighborhoods, waterways and oceans is actually the result of poorly-designed waste management systems?
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 150,000 tons of plastic waste is produced annually, of which only 2% is recycled, while 98% ends up in landfills or worse, somewhere in nature. By focusing on increasing recycling rates and adopting measures like the Deposit Return System, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a candidate country for EU membership, can make significant strides towards a more sustainable future.
The European Union has set ambitious recycling targets and encourages member states and candidate countries to implement effective recycling systems. In 2019, the EU adopted the Single-Use Plastics Directive, which mandates member states to achieve a 90% collection rate of plastic beverage containers by 2029. This directive underscores the EU’s commitment to tackling plastic pollution and promoting sustainable waste management practices. Aligning its environmental strategy with EU directives on single-use plastics and waste management enables Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve waste management practices and environmental performance. This alignment fosters cooperation with EU member states and strengthens the country’s position in the global community as a responsible participant in environmental preservation efforts.
Deposit return systems give waste a value, incentivizing consumers to contribute to a circular economy.
Deposit return systems provide a financial incentive to return drink containers. This communicates containers have a value, rather than being trash. high-performing deposit return systems routinely collect 90% or more of containers for recycling. This means containers are collected without contamination and can be recycled into new bottles and cans (rather than lower-quality uses like landfill cover), reducing reliance on raw materials to produce new beverage containers. This is known as closed-loop recycling, which TOMRA calls keeping materials in the Clean Loop.
When a bottle is returned to a reverse vending machine, often as part of a deposit return system, it can be recycled back into another plastic bottle. Deposit return systems answer calls to address plastic pollution, increase recycling, and move away from traditional linear take-make-dispose models in preference of a circular economy. Deposit return systems have been shown to combat litter, reduce costs, create green jobs, and bring social and economic benefits.
DRS has proven to be effective in boosting recycling rates. By offering a financial reward for returning containers, it incentivizes consumers to participate in recycling programs and reduces the amount of waste ending up in landfills or as litter. Leading deposit systems are collecting more than 90% of packaging which they put on the market (Reloop 2020).
Single-use beverage containers are a significant contributor to litter, especially in public spaces and natural environments. DRS encourages people to properly dispose of their empty containers, leading to cleaner communities and less environmental harm.
DRS helps conserve resources by promoting the collection and recycling of materials like glass, plastic, or aluminum, reducing the demand for raw materials. Implementing DRS can create opportunities and job creation in the recycling sector promoting circular economy.
DRS raises awareness among consumers about the value of recycling and their role in waste management. It encourages individuals to adopt more environmentally friendly habits and reinforces the importance of recycling as a societal responsibility.
Each year, 1.4 trillion beverage containers are used around the world, representing a vast amount of material that can be collected and reused or recycled. If this is done in the right way, we can help protect our planet by minimizing plastic pollution and litter, conserving precious resources like energy and water, and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with creating containers from scratch.
