The mandatory redemption system will start in Hungary as of January 1st, the communications department of the Ministry of Energy (ME) announced to MTI.
They wrote that the government’s goal is for Hungary to transition to a circular economy as quickly as possible. To this end, waste management has been transformed since July, and in accordance with Brussels’ expectations, the extended producer responsibility system has been introduced, in which producers of environmentally polluting products must pay more for the treatment of waste generated after their products.
Raisz Aniko, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Circular Economy, was quoted in the announcement, announced that as a next step, a mandatory redemption system will be in place in the country from the beginning of next year, which will contribute to Hungary reaching a 90 percent redemption rate for PET bottles in a few years.
The Secretary of State reminded: in the new waste management and extended producer responsibility system, MOHU Mol Hulladékfászállógi Zrt. accepts, collects, transports, pre-treats, trades and disposes of the waste generated by households and business organizations from products falling within the scope of the municipal and extended producer responsibility system. transfer. From the beginning of next year, the company will also operate the mandatory redemption fee system, the details of which are contained in the government decree published in issue 140 of the Magyar Közlöny 2023, they wrote.
According to this, with the exception of milk and milk-based beverage products, all glass, metal and plastic bottles and cans with a capacity of between one deciliter and three liters are included in the range of products subject to a mandatory redemption fee, so in the case of these, the manufacturers are obliged to mark the product as defined by law to place – explained.
They added: the manufacturer can voluntarily classify a specific product or packaging as a product with a redemption fee, based on the agreement concluded with the distributor, in addition to the products with a mandatory redemption fee. Such a product can be a specific product or product packaging voluntarily manufactured or marketed by the manufacturer with the “returnable” designation, the production or marketing of which has been notified to the national waste management authority.
It was also announced that the amount of the redemption fee is HUF 50 per piece in the case of non-reusable beverage packaging with a mandatory redemption fee, and in the case of products with a voluntary redemption fee and refillable bottles, the amount determined by the manufacturers, which the customer will receive back after redemption.
According to the announcement, food stores with a sales area of more than 400 square meters must obligatorily provide redemption by machine, with redemption machines, and a mandatory redemption place must be established in settlements with more than 1,000 inhabitants. Retail units obliged to operate the vending machine will soon be able to register with MOHU Mol Hulladékzágászólji Zrt., while shops with smaller sales areas can join the system on a voluntary basis.
Manufacturers with small quantities, i.e. those who market less than 5,000 products per year, are exempted from participating in the mandatory redemption system, in addition, the regulation does not apply to glasses of special shape and size, which cannot be redeemed with an automatic machine, if the concession company states this in the preliminary product registration determined during the procedure.
According to the ministry, during the transitional period provided by the legislation, until June 30, 2024, the beverage packaging that is classified as a product with a mandatory redemption fee, which has been placed on the market without marking or a redemption fee, does not have to be taken out, they can remain on the shelves of stores for an unlimited period of time.
In Hungary, the proportion of recycled waste has more than doubled since 2010, and the collection and utilization rate of waste may increase even further after that, which will increase the supply of secondary raw materials produced from waste, reduce the use of primary raw materials, thereby helping to reduce landfilling and illegal waste disposal, as well as reduce the environmental burdens – can be read in the announcement of the Ministry of Energy.
(MTI)
