The draft of the new Packaging act, currently being finalized in the Ministry of the Environment, foresees the subscribing of guarantee deposit of alcohol and beverage drinks packaging. According to the draft, the amount of guarantee deposit for up to half a litre class and plastic bottles is 1 kroons and 50 cents, 3 kroons for the larger bottles. The guarantee deposit will be paid to buyer when the bottle is returned. According to Ms. Helle Haljak, Adviser of the Waste Department of the Ministry of the Environment, the implementation of guarantee deposit should liven up the recycling of packaging waste, in which Estonia has dropped behind. Already in 2001, Estonia should have had recycled 50 % of total mass of packages, in reality, the adequate indicator was just 15 % just a year ago. According to Ms. Haljak, Estonia has declared to the European Commission that this goal can be achieved next year. “This year recycling has increased due to the widening of waste assorting, inter alia the activating of waste assorting factory in February, in Tallinn,” said Ms. Haljak. The draft of the Packaging Act is planned to be submitted to the Government already this year. Tomorrow, on October 28, at 9.45 o`clock, the Association of International Development of Biomedical Engineering, in liaison with the Ministry of the Environment and Estonian Packaging Association, will organize a German-Estonian conference on packaging in the Alfa hall of Hotel Olympia. At the tomorrow conference, the draft of the Packaging Act will be presented, and the experience of other countries on promoting recycling of package waste and implementing economical measures will be heard. For additional information please contact: Ms. Helle Haljak Mr. Peeter Eek |
