The Italian partners trying to enforce a deposit system for beverage packaging in their country turned to the Slovak Deposit System Administrator and PRO NATUR-PACK at the end of 2023. They tend to use as a positive example the successful project of depositing in Slovakia which achieves the 92 % return rate at present. Slovak citizens returned recently more than 2.13 billion of deposited beverage packaging units. Moreover, the depositing system effectiveness is continuously growing in Slovakia.
„During the first quarter of this year nearly 240 million of deposited beverage bottles and cans were returned in Slovakia, which means 6 times more than in the identical period of the first year of system operation,“ explained Monika Farka, the Marketing Manager of the Deposit System Administrator. Up to 3 330 return sites where the consumers can return the deposited beverage packaging are available at present. More than 2 billion 150 million packaging units have been returned since the deposit system introduction.
„The utmost importance of cooperation in starting of any new system was demonstrated in Slovakia. PRO NATUR-PACK joined with the Deposit System Administrator even before the launch, helping to get the system up and running quickly in such a short time, which is probably unprecedented in Europe. Our cooperation started in advance, and it continues and develops further. The main goal of both our organizations, which is the improvement of waste separation and recycling effectiveness in Slovakia, we have in common,“ added Michal Sebíň, the PRO NATUR-PACK director.
Well-known coordinator of the organization Zero Waste Europe, Enzo Favoino, and coordinator of campaign supporting the introduction of deposit systems (A BUON RENDERE), Silvia Ricci stand behind the Italian documentary creation.
The entire documentary released in March 2024 is available on the YouTube channel of the initiative A BUON RENDERE here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_C3Mt3siFk.
Basic facts about the deposit system:
· Depositing is a tool which is able to increase the proportion of returned plastic bottles and cans to more than 90 %, contributing also to reduced amounts of waste released into the nature;
· Depositing works on a principle of circular economy, closing the material circle „from bottle to bottle,“ „from can to can,“ saving thereby the natural resources;
· The system is in operation since 1 January 2022;
· All plastic and metal single-use beverage packaging with volume from 0.1 to 3 liters except of milk and milk containing beverages, syrups and hard liquor are deposited;
· Deposited packaging is labelled with capital „Z“ surrounded by recycling arrows and text „DEPOSITED“;
· Deposit amount is uniform for plastic bottles and cans – 15 cents;
· Consumer pays the deposit 15 cents when buying the beverage, the amount is indicated on the price tag or separately on the notice board;
· Consumer receives the deposit back when returning the beverage packaging to the return point, thus, the deposit amount does not influence the beverage cost;
· In the bigger stores the packaging is returned to the automatic collection machine, in the smaller groceries by checkout after manual scanning;
· Deposited packaging is returned un-squeezed, with a lid and legible barcode;
· Nearly 3 330 return points are registered in the deposit system;
· 72 % of the return points are automatic, using collection machines for returning the deposited beverage packaging;
· 64 % of stores entered the return system on a voluntary basis, they have no legal obligation to become a return point.
About the Deposit System Administrator:
A non-profit organization established by a consortium of four subjects – Association of Producers of Soft Drinks and Mineral Waters in Slovakia, Slovak Association of Beer and Malt Producers, Slovak Alliance of Modern Trade and Trade Association of the Slovak Republic. They represent the obliged persons under the Deposit Act, i.e. producers of non-alcoholic beverages and mineral waters, producers of beer and representatives of wholesale and retail trade. Their members jointly introduce to the market almost 80 % of all deposited packaging, and they represent more than 3 000 outlets.
For additional information please do not hesitate to contact:
Monika Farka, Marketing Manager of the Deposit System Administrator
Monika.Farka@spravcazaloh.sk
press@spravcazaloh.sk
