The scheme of things

You may already be used to it: paying a small deposit for a bottle, and getting some money back when you return it empty. The EU set the target for 1 January 2029 for every member state to have achieved a 90% collection rate of single-use plastic bottles. The deposit return scheme tends to work. In countries where the scheme has run for decades, the nudge has turned into a habit. Yet most countries have been limping towards that 90% for years: sometimes not every shop takes bottles back, some places have too few reverse vending machines, and consumer habits that formed before any scheme existed slow down the visible effects. Slovakia is the exception: launched three years ago, the scheme is already hitting 90%. This might be because of its relatively unique design: one national operator, mandatory retailer participation, and machine-return only. Belgium and Czechia have no deposit return schemes, but relatively high return rates. Both countries run systems where manufacturers pay for and manage recycling. Then there's the group not moving at all: Luxembourg at 58%, France at 55%, Italy at 46%, and Bulgaria at 40%. Without legislation at this point, these countries risk missing the 2029 target.