Hungary aims to recycle 90 percent of the glass, metal, and plastic bottles beverage products within three years.Continue reading
The first returnable bottles have arrived, news outlet Ripost shared on its TiktTok page. The reverse vending machines were already available in larger stores, but now they can be used, reports Mandiner.
The bottles that can be returned are those that are labeled accordingly. It is important to note that only bottles in undamaged condition can be returned. In addition, the regulation does not apply to bottles of special shapes and sizes, which cannot be returned by machine, or to products of which less than 5,000 are produced per year.
For non-reusable packaging, the deposit will be HUF 50 (1 EUR = 393 HUF) per piece.
For reusable packaging and refillable bottles, the redemption fee will be set by the manufacturer.
In Hungary, you can get a voucher in exchange for the returned bottles, or you can have them transferred to your bank account or even donated to charity.
The mandatory bottle return system came into effect on January 1, 2024, and requires all grocery stores with a floor area of more than 400 square meters to have a mandatory reverse vending machine provided by MOHU Zrt. The waste management company also proposes that shops between 200 and 400 square meters that voluntarily join the return system should also operate vending machines. For smaller shops that join the return system, a mobile system developed by Hungarian experts is expected to enable bottle collection from April 1, 2024.
@ripost.hu Megérkeztek az első visszaváltható palackok! #repalack #visszavaltas #uveg #muanyag #palack #repoint #automata #hungary #magyar #neked #nekedbe #nekedbelegyen #foryoupage #foryou ♬ eredeti hang – Ripost – Ripost
Via Mandiner, Featured image: Facebook/MOHU