Center MEP Elsi Katainen believes that the call for a parallel return system is not reasonable. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri of the Social Democrats states that she only became aware of the issues with the return system after the proposal had already passed through parliament. On Wednesday, the European Parliament will give its final approval to the EU’s packaging waste regulation. It is unlikely that the parliament will reject the result of the negotiations known as the “trilogy,” despite hopes from the Finnish beverage industry.
The new EU regulation presents challenges for the Finnish bottle deposit system. By 2030, ten percent of beverages must be sold in reusable packaging under the regulation, primarily affecting the brewing industry. The Finnish food industry estimates that this regulation will lead to costs amounting to hundreds of millions of euros and the creation of two separate bottle return systems.
MEP Mauri Pekkarinen from the Center party plans to vote against the regulation, arguing that this penalizes the most environmentally conscious operators in Europe. Finnish MEP Elsi Katainen finds it preposterous to create a new system alongside the successful Finnish bottle return system.
In Finland, beverage packages with a deposit are currently recycled as raw materials. The introduction of reusable packaging would necessitate a separate sorting and logistical system outside of the current model. Social Democrat MEP Miapetra Kumpula-Natri views this as a scenario where lobbying efforts came too late.
The EU’s aim with the regulation is to reduce packaging waste, set targets for reuse, and restrict single-use packaging. Negotiators from the Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the regulation details in March. MEP Nils Torvalds from Rkp plans to vote in favor of the legislation, fearing that revisiting it could lead to a worse outcome.
MEP Ville Niinistö of the Greens sees the regulation as a positive step towards sustainable packaging but recognizes the need for further clarity on the requirement for a parallel bottle return system. Finland could receive an exemption from the regulation if the overall plastic recycling rate reaches 50 percent.
The Finnish association administering recycling systems for deposit bottles, Palpa, has raised concerns about the confusion between high deposit bottle return rates and low rates for other plastics. MEP Henna Virkkunen from the coalition suggests that the issue surrounding the bottle deposit system can be resolved during national implementation.