Nearly a Quarter of Plastic Bottles in the Netherlands Not Returned for Deposit
In 2024, 23 percent of deposit-marked plastic bottles in the Netherlands were not returned, resulting in consumers leaving 139 million euros in unclaimed deposits.
According to data from Verpact, the organization responsible for managing the deposit system, about 23 percent of plastic bottles with deposits were not returned in the Netherlands last year. This discontinuity meant consumers missed out on reclaiming 139 million euros in deposit refunds. While 77 percent of eligible bottles were returned in 2024, this only marks a slight increase from the 74 percent return rate the year before.
For the past four years, plastic bottles in the Netherlands have carried deposits of either 15 or 25 euro cents, with the intent to boost recycling rates and reduce plastic bottle litter in the environment. However, the Netherlands’ Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has deemed the current return rates insufficient and has imposed sanctions on Verpact, calling for the return rate to rise to at least 90 percent. The agency stressed the need for greater participation from both consumers and businesses in the scheme.
To reach the desired target, the ILT is advocating for an increase in the deposit amount per bottle, backed by studies that show higher deposits improve return rates. Verpact, however, disagrees with this approach. Verpact’s president, Hester Klein Lankhorst, stated that the Netherlands already ranks among Europe’s top performers for bottle returns. Instead, Verpact is proposing new requirements for retailers, such as mandating automatic deposit machines in stores that sell large quantities of bottles, making it easier for consumers to return bottles and reclaim their deposits.
