In 345 stores in Hungary, Spar will implement the mandatory return of beverage cans and bottles using return machines, the department store chain’s communications director told Telex.
The government decree was published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday evening, which states that in settlements with a population of more than 1,000 people, food vendors and distributors with a sales area of more than 400 square meters will be obliged to provide a refund for certain products. This includes packaging all beverage products in glass, metal and plastic bottles and cans with a capacity ranging from 1 dL to 3 litres. Milk containers and milk-based beverage products are an exception and will not be returned. The decree also revealed that a recovery fee of fifty Hungarian forints per piece will be paid for non-reusable products with a mandatory recovery fee.
“Spar Hungary is prepared to the best of its ability and awaits the launch on January 1, 2024.”
“In the past six months, our staff has tried to prepare for several options based on ever-changing information, and in the coming days we will make final decisions based on knowledge of the law,” wrote Mark Maczelka, SPAR’s head of communications. .
He added that in collaboration with Mol’s waste franchise, Mohu Zrt, they are currently installing recycling equipment in their stores. He wrote: “Since the government decision clearly states that stores with an area of more than 400 square meters are obligatory, we will only deal with reverse vending machines, in which 345 stores will be affected.”
In connection with the preparation of the government decree, we contacted several Hungarian supermarket chains. After our article was published, Hungarian Lidl sent a response in which the supermarket chain wrote
“In close cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, preparations have begun for full compliance with the new legislation that will come into force in January.”
The decree goes into effect on November 1, but some of its provisions will only become effective from January 1, 2024. By then, thousands of reverse vending machines will need to be installed, especially in food stores, that accept packages. Metal, glass and plastic drinks. The system will be operated by Mohu Zrt, a subsidiary of Mol Nyrt, which has won the waste management concession for 35 years. We wrote about this in detail in this article.
