The Czech government yesterday approved an amendment to the packaging law to introduce a deposit system for PET bottles and metal cans, Environment Minister Petr Hladik (KDU-CSL) told a press conference after the cabinet meeting.
According to the Environment Ministry, a deposit of four crowns is envisaged for these items, but the exact price will only be determined by a decree accompanying the amendment.
The draft amendment will now be submitted to parliament for debate.
The aim is to increase the recycling rate and reduce the amount of waste in nature.
The bill also includes obligations concerning advertising leaflets, including the introduction of a recycling fee for their producers and restrictions on across-the-board distribution of leaflets to those who are not interested in them.
In the explanatory report of the bill, the ministry proposes that the regulation should come into force on 1 January 2025, but the deposit system should start a year later.
According to an EU directive, at least 90% of the weight of plastic beverage bottles must be collected by 2029. The Czech Republic is below this threshold, both for plastic bottles and metal cans.
According to data from the Environment Ministry, around 1.8 billion PET bottles and 0.8 billion cans enter the market each year. A significant amount of this packaging ends is not sorted, including one in five PET bottles and three out of four cans.
The Ministry believes that the deposit system will significantly increase recycling rates and help improve the use of these recycled materials.
The amendment has triggered much debate among interested parties, from ministries to business associations and regional representatives. Over 700 comments were submitted in the inter-ministerial comment procedure. In addition to technical issues, many concerned the principle of the deposit itself.
For instance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and several regions have expressed concerns about the economic impact on businesses and municipalities. Critics argue that the introduction of a mandatory deposit system will increase costs and complicate the existing waste sorting system.
On the contrary, Kristyna Havligerova, the external relations manager of the Depositing Initiative group, argues that a deposit system is the only way to make beverage packaging more circular.
