How to address the potential environmental damage caused by disposable beverage containersRecycling is not enough, for this reason 50 countries and approximately 357 million people in the world are resorting to the solution of security deposit for packaging. What does it consist of? The consumer is asked to pay a small deposit at the time of purchase which is refunded when the empty container (glass, plastic or aluminum) is returned.
The spread in Europe
16 European Union states resort to security deposit, known internationally as Deposit Return System (DRS), for single-use packaging. The pioneer of this method was the 1984 Sweden, which has been joined over time by Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Estonia, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Ireland, Hungary and Austria. The system is also being prepared for Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Spain.
Currently, countries that have adopted a DRS boast a average collection rate of 94%. And the advantages are evident both in terms of reducing pollution of parks and streets and in terms of the economic aspect: the system is in fact financed both by the producers of beverages and by the sale of collected or recycled material as well as by the deposits that are not redeemed.
The Italian framework
Despite its introduction in 2021 and confirmation in the Environment Bill last December, the security deposit system is not active in Italy, as the implementing decrees are missing, although the European Regulation on packaging and waste from packaging encourage the adoption of DRS as a crucial solution in a circular economy perspective.
The objective, highlighted by Silvia Ricci, coordinator of the “A Buon Rendere” campaign, is the recovery of 7 billion single-use containers that escape recycling every year.
The introduction of a deposit system could significantly increase collection rates, reaching 95,3% for PET bottles, 96% for cans and 95,8% for glass.
Between debates and potential
In Italy, the debate on the security deposit is very heated. Conai, in 2022, spoke of it as "an unnecessary duplication of economic and environmental costs that would be added to, but not completely replace, traditional separate waste collection". Coripet, the competing consortium, has instead started an experimental selective collection for PET packaging for several years, which aims to exceed the quota of five thousand eco-compactors by 2026.
To promote a winning DRS it is crucial to assign the fair value at the deposit, which in our country should amount to between 15 and 20 cents, and build a structured network, with a precise unity of purpose, which involves companies, public bodies, environmental organizations and consumers.
Source: Repubblica.it
