Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir announced on Tuesday that she plans to make a decision on the introduction of deposits on plastic cans and bottles by the end of the year, as part of the fight against litter which, she intimated, is running behind schedule.
"The government agreement aims to reduce litter by 20%, but at this stage we clearly will not achieve this," she said on "De Tafel van Vier" (Play 4) talk show.
Under the Flemish government agreement, authorities in the north of the country must agree on a form of deposit on plastic cans and bottles in 2023, but the environment minister intends to speed up the tempo. "We have been looking at the issue in recent months," she said, adding that 14 countries already apply such a deposit.
The introduction of the deposit in Flanders would not take place immediately, however, since there are different systems and the blue recycle bag works well, "especially for large plastic bottles, which you hardly see in litter," Ms. Demir noted.
An agreement with the other regions also seems necessary. "We still have to consult the Walloon and Brussels regions," the Flemish environment minister said, because the system would not be viable if limited to Flanders.
For Ms. Demir, the deposit on cans and plastic bottles could "be a reality by 2025."
Environment minister Zuhal Demir. Credit: Belga
In an early reaction to the minister’s remarks, an organisation that specialises in the recycling of household packaging noted that it will take more than deposits on plastic bottles and cans to curb littering.
"Litter is a thorn in everyone's side, including that of the companies that find their packaging on the street and in nature," noted Fost Plus, which has also been looking into the issue of digital deposits.
"It is clear that despite the many efforts already being made today, we still have insufficient control over litter," the organisation added. "More will be needed to bring about sustainable behavioural change."
To this end, Fost Plus, together with the Belgian Food Industry Federation (Fevia) and Comeos, which represents the trade and services sector, has submitted a proposal to the relevant ministers in the three regions with an integrated plan to combat littering. The proposal has various complementary pillars, but its cornerstone is the use of the blue recycling bag.
Fost Plus argued that, while policy remained the government's purview, economies of scale would be created by giving the organisation a coordinating role, as a unique and known point of contact for companies, regions and local authorities.
It added that it was also looking into how digital deposits can be used to collect even more beverage packaging in a flexible, innovative way.
