During carnival, mobile bulk machines are placed in various cities, especially in Brabant, allowing people to return empty deposit bottles and cans, a practice gaining traction in other high-traffic events as well, according to Statiegeld Nederland. A study is being conducted to determine if these deposit-producing machines, known as “statiegeldmachines,” can be effectively integrated into major events beyond carnival. In several cities, a dedicated deposit cart will also join the parade.

The bulk machines will be strategically placed in major Dutch cities such as Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Roosendaal, Helmond, and Oldenzaal (Twente). These innovative machines are designed to process over a hundred containers simultaneously. The deposit can either be paid out immediately via digital transfer or donated to a local charity, offering a convenient and eco-friendly way to manage the influx of beverage containers during festivities.

Den Bosch, for instance, will direct the collected funds to “Stichting Veur Mekaor”. According to Omroep Brabant, this foundation works to help people with disabilities participate in city events. “The collected deposit can be used to support local initiatives that make the city more accessible and enjoyable for everyone,” reads a statement from a local spokesperson.

Parade Innovation: The Statiegeldwagen

In selected cities, “Den Bosch” along with the municipality collaborators have organized a type of litter pick-up “broom wagon” driven in the carnival parades. This unique addition will trail at the back of the procession to allow participants to return bottles and cans on the spot, adding to the festive spirit while ensuring a cleaner environment. The money collected from these deposits will also be provided to local charities.

The bulk machines will be placed in Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Roosendaal, Helmond and Oldenzaal (Twente). The machines can process more than a hundred packaging at the same time. The deposit can be immediately paid out digitally or donated to a local charity,

such as Stichting Veur Mekaor, which aims to empower people with disabilities, as lead researcher Niels Dekker explains “By integrating these machines into major events, we hope to foster a sustainable mindset”. Less obvious locations, such as Central Park, are also being tested. But should this experiment work out, we could easily see similar efforts in the Astoria Park in Queens or the Anaheim Civic Events Park, especially during theme park season.

Collection Standard

Deposit Nederland plays a critical part in the organization PACT, which is responsible for the collection and recycling of beverage packaging throughout the Netherlands. Since 2022, the country has a mandate to maintain a 90% collection rate for plastic bottles. According to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), this target is “by no means guaranteed, furthering our fears with regards to a potential E.P.A. investigation. Consequently, the organization threatens to enforce immediate structural improvements. Clearly, statutes must wait their turn for the development to get underway and be held accountable to the public in the worldwide fight against pollution, both locally and abroad.
Packaging waste remains a pressing concern, exacerbated by an exponential rise in consumption during large-scale events. For instance, due to “loslatende” or “peeling” labels, many large-brand bottles do not have their deposit refunds. The gutter’s are filled with millions of unleashed deposit items,

simultaneously denying consumers their well-earned refunds and littering our already harmful environments. According to researcher Tom van Aaken

There are also other problems with deposit packaging. Concrete labels have increasingly defective bottles of big brands and so on. The outcome is that buyers of these bottles don’t get their deposit back. Furthermore, millions of bottles without a label end up in litter.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2555432-statiegeld-niet-terug-door-loslatende-etiketten-inspectie-moet-ingrijpen,

Adding to the complexity, labels from Coca-Cola and Pepsi have increasingly been defective, rendering the bottles non-eligible for deposit returns. The long term outlooks of this are alarmingly scary, and these approitions will get worse.

Just as producers need to be held accountable for the efficient recovery of packaging materials, industry giants must likewise undertake stringent obligations to ensure that each item is retrievable, well-recycled, and meets the robust levels of sanitation requirements to safeguard human life both immediately and in generations to come, concluding Kerr’s book.