NETHERLANDS – Reverse vending machines provider TOMRA has announced the expansion of the Netherlands’ existing deposit return scheme to include aluminium and steel beverage cans.
The scheme was expanded on 1 April and now includes aluminum and steel beverage cans recycling.
According to the new concept, all metal beverage containers with a capacity of up to three liters and a deposit of €0.15 will be eligible for recycling.
Collection points for the metal cans primarily include supermarkets that are more than 200m² in area and staffed petrol stations, which are located along the highway.
Additional locations, including sports clubs and movie theatres, can also sign up to become voluntary collection points. Registrations can be made via Statiegeld Nederland.
TOMRA Collection Western and Southern Europe senior vice-president Rene Hissink said: “The expansion of the Netherlands’ deposit return system to aluminium cans means a new type of material will enter the loop and be able to be returned to the circular economy using appropriate recycling processes. As a result, the Dutch circular economy, as a whole will see a boost.”
Since July 2022, the system has accepted small plastic bottles in an expansion of its original compatibility with large plastic bottles.
Even so, BrightVibes has estimated that 150 million beverage cans leak into the Dutch environment every year, with the pollution rates of aluminium cans said to have raised by 27% in 2020.
This expansion plan comes after the number of metal drink cans in the environment increased by 27% in 2020, according to information posted on the TOMRA website.
The company informed that a deposit is added for relevant drink containers and consumers or recyclers receive a full refund when they return the empty cans.
A similar expansion was executed in July 2022, when the Dutch Government expanded this system to also include small plastic bottles.
With the Dutch soft drinks, water, and beer markets thought to sell over 600 million large plastic bottles, 900 million small plastic bottles, and approximately 2.5 billion cans every year, Statiegeld Nederland aims to take back 90% of deposit-eligible products to clean up the country’s packaging pollution.
According to TOMRA, a similar national deposit return scheme in Slovakia apparently received 820 million returned containers in its first year of operation, exceeding its expected return rate at over 70%.
It also cites functional reverse vending machines as the third most popular consideration amongst European consumers when disposing of empty beverage packaging, with efficiency, environmental benefits, and financial incentives listed as driving factors behind their recycling habits.
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