Germany Aims for Drinks Can Deposit in 2003

Reuters reports that German Environment Minister Juergen Trittin was
quoted on Friday as saying the country aimed to widen a deposit system
to encourage recycling of drinks cans from January 1, 2003.

“I have proposed to the chancellery that we introduce the obligatory
deposits on January 1, 2003. We want to decide this in cabinet this
month,” Trittin told Sueddeutsche Zeitung, according to an advance copy
of an interview due to appear in the newspaper’s Saturday edition.

It was the first time the environment ministry had indicated a firm
timetable for widening the deposit system, which already applies to
glass bottles.

The move had been expected following a court ruling last month, which
paved the way for the system to be changed. Shares in makers of can
recycling machines, such as Norway’s Tomra Systems, have been rising in
anticipation of the announcement.

Trittin said the government wanted to give retailers and industry time
to prepare for the changeover. “It is not only a question of if
necessary installing machines for taking back empties but also changing
packaging to mark the cans as bearing deposits,” He said.

Trittin confirmed it was his aim for the deposit system to also apply
to carbonated soft drinks, as well as beer. Asked by the newspaper what
he meant, he said: “Cola, Fanta, Sprite, etc. Consumers would not
understand it if we put deposits on beer cans but not cans of cola.”