Web-Resol Tudo sobre Limpeza Urbana e Resíduos Sólidos!
According to a report by the GfK market researchers in Nuremberg, deposits on single-use beverage containers have had a positive effect on sales of refillable alternatives. Sales of refillable containers for those beverages affected by the deposits have ended their downward trend and increased dramatically. This Note also covers planned changes to the deposit system.
The well-infomed environment team at the British Embassy in Belin cite a report, commissioned by the environmental association ‘Umwelthilfe’, which examines the effect of compulsory deposits introduced on 1.1.03 on single-use beverage containers. At 25-50 cent, they are considerably higher than the existing 8-15 cent deposits on reusable containers. Of the drinks affected by the deposits (including beer and carbonated drinks), every second single-use container sold in December 2002 has now been replaced by a refillable one.
Sales of carbonated drinks such as cola and lemonade in refillable containers have shown the largest increase. The market share has risen from 50.5% in the 4th quartile of 2002 to 75.8% in January 2003. This jump marks a change in a downward trend from 82.2% in the 4th quartile of 1998 to 60.3% in the 4th quartile of 2001. Sales of beer in refillable bottles have reacted similarly, falling from 86.5% in the 4th quartile of 1998 to a low of 74.7% in the 4th quartile of 2002. Sales then rose to 91% in January 2003 following the introduction of the deposits.
The refillable quota for all drinks – including those not covered by the new deposits – has risen from 52.2% in the 4th quartile of 2002 to 61% in January 2003. However, for non-deposit drinks such as fruit juices, the downward trend is continuing. The amount of fruit juice sold in refillable containers fell from 18.3% at the end of 2002 to 16.2% in January 2003.
Head of the Umwelthilfe, Jurgen Resch, said in a statement that the increase in refillables was largely due to retailers removing cans and single-use bottles from their shelves (to avoid having to levy the deposit). The Deutsche Bahn (German rail) has also announced that it will only sell drinks in refillable containers. As a result of the deposits, beverage wholesalers – who tend to sell refillables – and medium sized breweries – who also favour refillable bottles – are enjoying an increased turnover.
Conversely, the single-use sector is suffering from the new deposits. In a separate report, the leading German producer of single-use water bottles, Gehring-Bunte announced it would be reducing its employees’ hours. Likewise, the metal recycling company, aluminium Rheinfeldern, has announced job losses following the temporary closure of one of its plants.
An additional disadvantage of the deposit on single-use containers is that the cans and bottles have to be taken back to the point of sale. The Environment Ministry and industry are currently negotiating details of a central clearing point which will enable consumers to return their cans and single-use bottles to any retail outlet from 1 October.
Federal Environment Minister Jurgen Trittin and representatives of the Federal States agreed an initial outline of an amendment to the packaging ordinance, the legal basis for the deposits, in mid February. The new legislation will be based on the environmental credentials of the packaging rather than the contents and sales quotas. Trittin is hoping the bill will move swiftly through Parliament so that the new regulations can take effect in October with the clearing system.
>http://ww>
Artigos Relacionados
Check Also
Waste management poses challenges, but could unlock major environmental and economic gains
Every day, the city of Rio de Janeiro, one of the largest metropolises in the Southern Hemisphere, generates 17,000 tonnes of waste, ranging from large industrial debris to candy wrappers bought innocently at newspaper stands. While this waste presents a serious and urgent environmental challenge, it also fuels an increasingly significant portion of the economy, with benefits extending beyond financial gains. - When we look at developed European countries, many are already recycling between 40% and 50%, with some reaching 60%. From an economic standpoint, both recyclable materials and organic waste hold tremendous value - stated Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary for Environment and Environmental Quality at the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), during the Methane Forum: Climate Emergency Brake, at the Rio Nature and Climate Week. Citing a 2025 report, Maluf mentioned that Brazil literally throws away R$27 billion annually, while municipalities spend significantly more - R$45 billion - managing all this waste, often overlooking the environmental impact or economic potential buried in landfills and dumps. - We spend R$45 billion to collect and dispose of waste in landfills, yet we manage to recycle less than a third of the potential. I believe it will be necessary to review contracts, create performance-based remuneration mechanisms, and pay for both effectively sorted materials and those diverted from landfills - he added. According to the IBGE, 60.5% of Brazilian municipalities adopt some form of selective waste collection, and several initiatives serve as examples of how to manage city waste. In his panel presentation, Bernardo Ornelas, Project Coordinator at the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Urban Cleaning Company (Comlurb), highlighted Ecoparque do Caju, a national benchmark in waste management and recycling. There, received materials are sorted and can be used for biogas production, organic compounds for urban gardens, or human consumption, in the case of still...