The essence of a container deposit mechanism is that a small deposit is added to the cost of a bottled or canned beverage, which is refunded to the consumer if he or she returns the container (e.g. through vending machines or collection points). For this purpose, authorized collection points for containers that can be sorted and reused should be organized. This includes plastic, glass and metal packaging. According to the document, collection points must be located in retail outlets or no further than 150 meters from them.
The system will be mandatory throughout Moldova, both for domestic producers and importers. The packaging that will be included in the list for pledging will be marked with a special sign and equipped with a unique barcode for traceability.
The system will be managed by a non-profit administrator appointed by the Ministry of Environment, who will be responsible for registering participants, organizing logistics, maintaining packaging registers, reporting, and conducting information campaigns.
This approach has been successfully implemented in nearly 60 countries around the world and is a highly effective economic tool within the framework of extended producer responsibility. It helps to reduce the amount of waste and also shapes responsible consumer behavior: packaging is perceived not as garbage, but as a value.
The need to implement a collateral system for single-use packaging is driven by the rapid growth of the bottling industry, increasing transportation costs and distances, consumer expectations and comfort. All this has led to an increase in the consumption of disposable packaging, which requires special measures for its separate collection and diversion from the household waste stream.
According to the Ministry of Environment, in 2021 the Moldovan market was about 130 thousand tons of plastic – 50 kg per capita. At the same time, the share of plastic waste is 11.3%. At the same time, only 3.3 thousand tons of waste (about 3%) was collected and recycled at the national level.
