On June 1, 2021, Reloop’s CEO Clarissa Morawski participated as a part of a panel discussion organised by the German Mineral Water Association (Verband Deutscher Mineralbrunnen – VDM) about the next steps that the EU and the natural mineral water sector need to take together to protect the climate and the most valuable resource there is: water. At the event, which was hosted online, Clarissa spoke about Germany’s deposit return system and explained why other EU countries should be following the German model:
“Germany has the most successful deposit return program in the world, and it’s also the largest, so you get the benefit of scale, and it’s also one of the most sophisticated in terms of technology. You have every single retail shop taking bottles back, the vast majority through machines. They’re clean, they’re sexy. They take refillables and non-refillables. This is absolutely unique, so Germany stands as a model for the rest of the world. Politicians and system designers should be coming to Germany to see how it’s done.”
The lessons to be drawn from two decades of the German deposit system are especially important right now, because over the next few years at least 10 EU member states are planning to transition to a deposit system. The reason this is happening now is partly due to new obligations which will come in as a result of the European Green Deal.
“We believe that it’s critical that the deposit system includes glass, plastic and metal. But we’re finding in many jurisdictions glass isn’t going to be introduced in the program.” Morawski said.
The online recording of the event can be viewed below. Clarissa starts speaking at 40:10.