Returning plastic bottles will be rewarded by the Portuguese Ministry of the Environment
Big containers will be distributed decided the country, in many different shopping areas. The prize for returning the bottles is still to be confirmed by the minister.
The government has decided to launch a pilot programme aiming at ensuring that plastic bottles will find its way to the recycling units. the programme will give prizes to consumers who return non-reusable plastic bottles, but the prize value has not yet been set.
The law which endorses the return of plastics, metals, and glass, among other elements, was issued by the government on the 26th of December.
To guarantee that the objects are indeed collected, the government will distribute containers in some key shopping areas, where consumers will be able to drop the items. However, the plastic ‘bounty’ hasn’t been defined yet, and the dispatch from Diário da Reública noted that “the value will be determined by the member of the government which is responsible for the Environment cabinet”, meaning that Matos Fernandes will have the final say on the reward value.
The government is also due to present a report to the Parliament of the pilot programme by the end of the third trimester of 2021, meaning that it has three years to ensure it has a meaningful impact.
Large retailers will also be obliged to make changes to their stores: an area exclusively dedicated to commercializing 100% biodegradable and reusable bottled beverages will have to be implemented.
Starting in January 2022, it will become mandatory to have a deposit system for all packages (aluminium, plastic, glass, metal, any non-reusable materials), at these surfaces.
This law’s regulatory framework is expected to be ready in about 180 days, in the summer of 2019.
Econews would like to wish you a happy 2019.
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