When returning deposit packages to the reverse vending machine, you get 10 cents for each bottle. Inflation makes this amount smaller. However, people are still actively returning packages. Therefore, the Ministry of Climate has not considered raising the deposit price.
Eesti Pandipakend OÜ collected over 355 million packages last year. This is more than the previous year. 86% of glass bottles, 91% of metal packages, and 88% of plastic packages were returned.
The beverage package deposit fee last changed in 2015. At that time, deposit rates were standardized to 10 cents. Previously, you got 5 cents for a plastic bottle and 10 cents for a glass bottle. Since then, the deposit fee has remained the same, even though prices have risen.
Dagny Repp, head of the packaging department at the Ministry of Climate, said that increasing the deposit is not being considered. She said the return rate is high and there is no downward trend. "The need to change the deposit should be assessed if the return rate starts to decline," said Repp.
Some deposit packages do not reach the reverse vending machine. They are thrown into the trash or get damaged. Damaged packages are not detected by the machine. Some packages may also leave Estonia.
The turnover of Eesti Pandipakend was 55.5 million euros last year. This grew by one percent compared to the previous year. Most of the revenue comes from deposit fees. Next is revenue from the sale of packaging waste and processing fees. Eesti Pandipakend's net profit was 2.145 million euros.