Environment Minister wants deposits on plastic bottles

The Minister also wants the drinks industry to make a greater contribution to paying for tackling litter related issues.
Cans and plastic bottles are good for are 40% of litter collected from the streets, in parks and elsewhere. Ms Schauvliege is reported to be proposing the introduction of a 25 cent deposit on cans and plastic bottles.

However, MP’s from the largest party in the Flemish Government coalition, the nationalists, are against the introduction of a deposit system for plastic bottles and cans.

Ms Schauvliege doesn’t consider this to be an issue.

"Half of Flemish municipalities are in favour of the introduction of deposits. These include a lot of municipalities where the nationalists are in the coalition. I hope that all the parties will feel that they can back this".

Setting up a collection system for plastic bottles and cans will cost the distribution sector a lot of money. Ms Schauvliege says that this is a cost that should be borne at least in part by those that produce packaging material.

Currently the industry make a contribution of around 10 billion euro per annum through Fost Plus. Meanwhile, the municipalities pay more than 150 million euro per annum; the idea is to increase the industry’s contribution by setting up a packaging fund into which producers of plastic bottles and cans would be able to contribute.