Source:pagcev.org

With the Deposit Return System, Both the Environment and Consumers Will Benefit

PAGÇEV President and SEM Plastik Chairman of the Board, Yavuz Eroğlu, stated that thanks to the Deposit Return System (DRS), which will help reduce environmental problems, waste will be transformed into raw materials. He said, “By recycling 20 billion beverage packages, the economy will gain 1.4 billion lira annually.”

The Deposit Return System (DRS), which will ensure that plastic, glass, metal-aluminum, and carton waste are directed to recycling instead of landfills, is set to be implemented in 2022. Expected to reduce environmental problems, the DRS is also anticipated to accelerate investments in the recycling sector. Providing information about the system, which will both protect the environment and contribute to the economy, Eroğlu emphasized that if implemented correctly, the DRS could prevent the formation of an additional 1 million tons of waste each year in Turkey.

Eroğlu explained that the Deposit Return System will encourage consumers to participate in recycling:

“With the implementation coming into effect next year, consumers will pay a deposit fee at the point of sale, in addition to the price of the product. The deposit system will direct consumers to designated markets or other collection points to reclaim the fee they paid outside of the product price. To get their deposit back, consumers will return the empty packaging. The refund can be given as cash or shopping points.

Through the deposit system, waste that has monetary value for consumers will not be discarded as trash but instead taken to collection centers and turned back into raw materials. This way, both the environment will be protected and the national economy will benefit. Moreover, the deposit system will enable the production of clean and recyclable raw materials, thereby accelerating the growth of the industry.”

THE GOAL IS TO RECYCLE 20 BILLION BEVERAGE PACKAGES

Waste that causes environmental pollution when thrown into parks, gardens, or the sea will gain monetary value with the Deposit Return System (DRS), making it more valuable to consumers. Pointing out that 20 billion beverage packages are used annually in Turkey, 9 billion of which are PET bottles, Eroğlu emphasized that if these wastes are recycled through the DRS, the economy could benefit by 1.4 billion lira per year. He continued:

“The deposit system has three possible outcomes.
First, you buy a product, and after using it, you return the empty package and get your deposit back.
Second, you buy the product, use it, but don’t return it — in that case, the deposit amount remains in the system, meaning it goes to the state. The government then uses that money to support the growth of the recycling system and protect the environment.
In the third case, you buy the product, and although you don’t return the package yourself, you give it to someone who collects waste for the deposit refund. That person then brings it to a collection center and receives the refund themselves.

In all three scenarios, the disposal of packaging waste into the environment is prevented, the environment is protected, and the system functions in a way that benefits both consumers and the recycling industry.”

Eroğlu also noted that, due to the consumption habits of Turkey’s young population, the number of beverage packages used each year is increasing. He stated that the annual per capita consumption is 279 packages, amounting to a total of 20 billion units, and added:

“It is estimated that by the early 2030s, this figure will rise to 30 billion. Therefore, a deposit system is essential for a growth model compatible with environmental sustainability. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has been conducting detailed studies for a long time to build the infrastructure of the system. In this process, an amendment to the Environmental Law regarding the deposit system was published in the Official Gazette on December 30, 2020. The Environmental Agency was established, and the transition to a Mandatory Deposit System was decided. The Turkish Environmental Agency was granted the authority to oversee the financial and administrative auditing of the process to ensure its sustainability and safety. According to the Packaging Waste Control Regulation, as of January 1, 2022, glass, aluminum, and PET packaging have officially been included in the scope of the mandatory deposit system.”

RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY SECURITY WILL INCREASE

 

Pointing out that the goal is to collect 70% of plastic beverage waste in the initial phase, Eroğlu stated that the deposit system would also help strengthen the supply security of recycled raw materials in the plastics industry.

He reminded that 85% of the Turkish plastics industry’s raw material needs are met through imports, which causes a significant current account deficit, and continued:

“Our industry, which ranks 6th in the world and 2nd in Europe after Germany, relies heavily on stable raw material supply. Domestic raw material production meets only 15% of our needs. Since petrochemical companies are inspired by cartel-like structures similar to OPEC in the oil sector, we occasionally face sudden price shocks.

Increasing the collection of our waste through the deposit system means having access to recycled materials with secured supply conditions suitable for reuse. In this way, it will be easier to protect both our companies and consumers from the supply and price shocks created by cartel-structured petrochemical companies.

With the deposit system, which will help reduce the current account deficit, plastic products produced from recycled raw materials will reach consumers at more affordable prices, paving the way for a downward effect on inflation.”

CARBON EMISSIONS WILL DECREASE

Emphasizing that the Deposit Return System (DRS) is implemented in 15 countries worldwide, Eroğlu said:

“The biggest advantage of these systems is that they increase collection and recycling rates. In Europe, the collection rate for beverage packaging without a deposit system is 47%, while in areas with a deposit system, the rate reaches 94%.”

Eroğlu reminded that countries around the world are showing sensitivity toward climate change, and that international frameworks such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the EU Green Deal guide economic policies in this area. He concluded his remarks as follows:

“The European Union, which aims to reduce carbon emissions, requires that by 2025, 25% of beverage packaging be made from recycled materials, and this rate is planned to increase to 30% by 2030. To achieve this, consumers must be made stakeholders in the recycling system and rewarded for participation. Therefore, the Deposit Return System makes a significant contribution to global recycling trends from an environmental standpoint.

Once implemented in 2022, the system will lead to an annual reduction of 263,000 tons of carbon emissions in Turkey.”