According to figures from Verpact, formerly the Packaging Waste Fund, approximately 65 percent of empty cans are currently being returned. But Fair Resource Foundation says that Verpact has opted for a favorable snapshot. For example, in the second quarter of last year, only 26 percent of the cans were returned. “Verpact only uses the figures from the last quarter, while the figure for the entire year is much lower,” says a spokesperson. “A simple calculation shows that the collection from April 1 to December 31, 2023 is closer to 50 percent.”
Verpact, which is responsible for the collection and recycling of packaging on behalf of the business community, partly pays for the deposit system with money from consumers. According to Verpact, 374 million euros of deposits have not been paid out between 2021 and 2023.
According to the environmental organization, this leads to a “perverse incentive”. According to the Fair Resource Foundation, deposits that have not been collected may no longer benefit Verpact. “Politics must find a solution for sustainable spending of the already accumulated unpaid deposits.”
