1 February 2022 marks the opening of 1 350 beverage packaging collection places in Latvia. Using this service Latvian residents will be able to return empty glass, plastic (PET) and metal (cans) beverage packaging marked with a special Latvian deposit label, reminds Depozīta iepakojuma operators.
By the end of the transition period (31 July) the total number of deposit places is planned to exceed 1 500. Store shelves will be filled with compatible products gradually. Only specially labelled beverages will be released to the market from May onward.
Which beverage packaging types are allowed to be deposited?
Residents will be able to deposit glass, plastic (PET) and metal (cans) beverage packaging types from carbonated or non-carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, as well as all types of beer and other alcoholic beverages with alcohol concentration under 6%.
The packaging to be deposited needs to be empty. It must not be bent or bearing any significant damage. Labels have to be intact with a clearly readable bar code and Latvian deposit label.
The first products bearing special labels will become available in Latvia on 1 February.
To help preserve the shape of bottles, it is recommended to deposit bottles with their caps intact. This way it will be possible to ensure the cap is recycled as well.
Store shelves will be filled gradually
The deposit system includes a six-month transition period, which will last from 1 February until 31 July. During this period of time, both label-bearing products and products that do not have a label will be allowed to remain on shelves.
«Thanks to assistance with retailers and beverage manufacturers, we have succeeded in a major endeavour and have adopted a deposit system less than two years. The transition period provides for a reduction of deposit-compatible products on shelves in the first month, which is normal. After that the number of products will keep increasing every week. Time is needed to replace all the products in stores. I invite retailers to be patient and adapt to this new habit,» explains LLC Depozīta iepakojuma operators board chairman Miks Stūrītis.
To identify bottles and cans compatible with the deposit system, residents will need to pay attention to their labels – if it includes a special Latvian deposit system label, it will be allowed to be deposited back. The ten cent deposit fee, which consumers pay extra for deposit-friendly packaging, will be returned upon depositing packaging.
If residents purchase packaging without a deposit label, the deposit fee will not be collected and residents will need to instead deposit it normally to sorted waste containers.
How will deposit places function?
From 1 February onward residents will be able to deposit beverage packaging at 1 350 packaging collection places across Latvia. 736 packaging collection places will be automated. There are also 614 manual packaging collection places, in which collection will be performed by store sellers.
The number of packaging collection places will continue increasing in 2022 – there are already 836 automated reverse vending machines. Another 130 are planned to be installed in February and another 70 by 1 May.
A single packaging deposit place will be able to receive up to a thousand packaging items regardless of where the packaging was purchase.
The open hours of packaging collection places will be the same as the stores in which they are located. The same applies for epidemiological rules: if a packaging collection place is located in a store in which commerce is permitted under green regime, the same will apply for packaging depositing activities.
A map of locations and useful information can be found at www.depozitapunkts.lv, as well as Depozīta punkts’ Facebook and Instaground accounts.
Packaging deposit system comes online in Latvia today. How does it work?
