Czech Republic will not introduce blanket deposit system on PET bottles

The Czech Republic will not be introducing a deposit system on PET bottles which would see them recycled outside the system of plastic waste recycling, Environment Minister Richard Brabec told journalists in Prague on Thursday.

He said the country can meet the new European rules by improving the existing sorting system. By 2025 packaging will have to be made from at least 25 percent recycled material.

He said there was no law which would prevent producers of soft drinks putting a deposit on their PET bottles.

The e-shop Košík.cz and Mattoni have started testing a deposit system on PET bottles, available on the online sales platform.

Advocates of the system cite a study by the Institute of Circular Economics which shows that the introduction of a blanket deposit system on PET bottles would reduce the environmental impact by 28 percent compared to the current method of plastic waste management.