70 organizations demand to finally introduce deposits on bottles and cans: “Belgium is lagging behind”

Several political parties, such as Les Engagés, have promised the instructions to their voters, point out the seventy organizations. The former Walloon Minister of the Environment Céline Tellier (Ecolo) also indicated last March that this was the last straight line before the introduction of the system, they recall. The Walloon government had validated its introduction before the elections but, at the start of 2025, the introduction of the instructions is long overdue, they still deplore.

“All the elements for the introduction of the instructions are finally on the table, it is now up to governments to put their words into action,” urge the signatories.

“In Belgium, we continue to suffer from the absence of a real solution: our farmers continue to lose cattle, the “gathering pigeons” become discouraged and exhausted trying to clean an uninterrupted flow of cans and bottles, the cities and “municipalities continue to waste time and money trying in vain to clean up litter. Belgian citizens also want a solution for a cleaner environment, not to mention the health risks linked to plastic bottles which release micro-plastics into nature.” they write in their letter.

More and more countries in the European Union are also introducing deposits due to new European rules on packaging. Austria will do it this year. “Belgium is therefore lagging behind in Europe,” conclude the organizations and municipalities.