The packaging industry has until the beginning of next month to submit an improvement plan to collect sufficient plastic bottles with a deposit. This was announced by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). The regulator officially warned the trade organization Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen today that the target for collecting bottles will not be achieved.
In the letter, the ILT writes that an analysis and improvement plan is expected with which the collection goals will be achieved. Only 68 percent instead of the legally established collection target of 90 percent is now achieved. “That is a violation,” the ILT emphasizes
The ILT has also requested figures from the Waste Fund about, among other things, collection figures per brand, the number of bottles that voluntarily fall under the deposit system and the number of collection machines and other collection points.
Next steps
The fund will have until the beginning of October to submit the improvement plan, an ILT spokesperson said when asked. “The ILT will analyze the advanced data from the Packaging Waste Fund and use it to assess the improvement plan. ILT will then check whether it gives rise to follow-up steps.” The ILT does not yet want to anticipate the precise next steps.
This morning, outgoing State Secretary Heijnen expressed her dissatisfaction about the collection of bottles with a deposit. She called the fact that only 68 percent was achieved “downright disappointing.
Heijnen stated that he had urged the Packaging Waste Fund to show improvement quickly. The Waste Fund was founded by the business community and regulates the collection of plastic bottles and cans. Figures on the collection of cans with a deposit will only be available next year.
The introduction of can collection was not without problems:
- A levy on single-use plastic does not seem to work: there is still just as much litter on the streets
- More than 1 million plastic bottles per day not returned, ‘more collection points needed’
- Waste bins turned upside down for deposits, cities are looking for solutions
