Plastic bottles and cans to be deposited from 2022

Starting from 2022, disposable beverage containers are to be deposited in Slovakia, based on a bill submitted by the Environment Ministry that was approved by MPs on Wednesday. The deposit should be 12 cents per PET bottle and 10 cents per can. According to the Environmental Ministry's estimates, the cost of implementing the system should be €80 million. The new legislation, however, states that not all stores and operations have to introduce deposits. It will only be mandatory for those over 300 square metres. However, the ministry assumes that many smaller stores will take over the system in time. Approximately one billion PET bottles enter the circulation in Slovakia in one year. Separated collection systems yield an approximate return of 60 percent.