Croatia expands deposit return system to include Tetra Pak and more from 2027

Croatia is set to significantly expand its deposit return system starting January 1, 2027, incorporating a wider range of beverage packaging. Consumers will soon be able to return not only PET bottles, cans, and glass containers but also Tetra Pak cartons and other multi-layer drink packaging for a 10-cent refund. The new regulations will cover single-use packaging made from plastic, glass, or metal, as well as multi-layer packaging where paper or cardboard is the predominant component, according to Poslovni dnevnik.

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What is important for consumers is that from January 1, if these products enter the deposit return system, the price will increase by the amount of the deposit.

The expanded system will apply to packaging up to three liters in volume, including smaller bottles under two deciliters that were previously excluded. This means that products like milk, dairy drinks, and juices in Tetra Pak cartons will now include a 10-cent deposit fee. Similarly, bottles made from other plastics, such as HDPE, will be included alongside PET bottles. Consumers will pay the extra charge at purchase, recouping the amount when they return the empty packaging, meaning the cost is borne only by those who do not return the containers.

Dragica Bagarić, director of the company Eko Ozra, noted that consumers will see a price increase for products included in the expanded system due to the deposit fee. However, manufacturers and retailers are raising concerns about the readiness of the infrastructure for this expansion. They highlight the complexity of collecting, storing, transporting, and processing Tetra Pak cartons due to their multi-layer structure, which is more challenging than handling glass bottles, cans, or standard plastic bottles.

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Croatia currently does not have the capacity for recycling multi-layer cardboard packaging, and trade does not have machines for taking over this packaging, but would have to collect it manually.

Bagarić pointed out that Croatia currently lacks the capacity to recycle multi-layer cardboard packaging and that retailers would need to collect it manually rather than using existing machines. She also raised concerns about hygiene, especially for packaging like milk cartons that cannot be resealed after opening. Irena Weber, Director General of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP), echoed these concerns, stating that Tetra Pak requires additional investments for collection compared to existing materials. Due to these challenges, representatives of manufacturers and retailers are requesting a postponement of the implementation date, while the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition maintains that the new rules were established in 2023.

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Tetra Pak packaging is much more complex to collect compared to cans, PET, and glass because it is multi-layered, which will require additional investments.