New white paper from Tomra: What makes an effective deposit return system work?

Like so many other things in this world, not all deposit return systems are created equal. What makes some a success, while others deliver only a lacklustre performance?

According to Norway-based beverage container collection and sorting systems expert Tomra, the world’s highest-performing deposit return systems (DRS) for can and bottle recycling have four success factors in common. Tomra has today released a new, freely downloadable white paper explaining what these four factors are and examines the 12 key policy elements that put these principles into practice.

In view of the fact that, in the past three years alone, at least 22 states or countries have committed to update or develop deposit return systems, publication of Rewarding Recycling: Learnings from the World’s Highest-Performing Deposit Return Systems is both timely and relevant. The European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive establishes targets for member states to collect 90% of all plastic bottles by 2029, a rate experts say will be difficult to reach without a deposit on beverage containers.

The discussion, says the report, is being fuelled by a series of trends,  including the growing awareness that plastic waste is polluting even the far reaches of the planet; concerns raised by the Basel Convention and the associated rising costs of collection, processing and recycling for parts of the world that used to rely on China, India, and many other Asian countries to buy and sort through mixed recyclables; and the growing momentum to transition from a “take- make-waste” industrial model to a “circular economy”.

While the motivation to act is there, it is essential to gain an understanding of how high-performing deposit return systems work, while others do not.

Tomra evaluated deposit models against key metrics such as cost efficiency and the percentage of containers returned for recycling, and found that the most effective deposit systems share the following four principles:

• Performance: A collection target for all beverage containers plus a meaningful deposit delivers strong results.
• Convenience: The redemption system is easy, accessible and fair for all users.
• Producer Responsibility: Producers finance and invest in the system using the unredeemed deposits, commodity revenues, and an eco-modulated EPR fee.
• System Integrity: Trust is built into the system's processes through transparent management, a data-driven clearinghouse, and reliable redemption technology.

In the white paper, these four design principles are further fleshed out with the 12 key elements that constitute these principles. The authors encourage stakeholders to consider the 12 elements discussed in this paper “as part of an ecosystem rather than a menu of options. Prioritising one but not the other could disrupt the system’s performance and cost effectiveness.”

“With alarming growth in plastic waste worldwide, and drive from businesses, consumers and governments alike to take action, it is vital that deposit return systems truly achieve the environmental objectives they strive toward,” said Wolfgang Ringel, Senior Vice President Group Governmental Affairs in Tomra.

In that context, this paper can contribute. As Tomra makes clear, deposit return systems are a proven solution to many of these challenges,  but the performance of these systems varies depending on their design.

By offering stakeholders what it calls a ‘recognised blueprint for action when it comes to beverage container waste’, the report provides guidance and support on best practices to accelerate the adoption of a circular economy, to meet performance targets, and to address the chronic problem of beverage container litter.