Litter is increasing due to the search for deposit cans. Is DoneerRing the solution?

The fact that too much litter is blowing around in the streets has been a much-discussed topic for some time. To combat this, since January this year, a deposit has been charged on cans and small plastic bottles. But this has not reduced the amount of litter, as is apparent in Amsterdam. In fact, it has only made things worse, and this is why:

You can now return bottles and cans to places where you bought them. That means the supermarket or petrol station, but also, for example, the snack bar or the football club canteen. You get €0.15 deposit back for an empty bottle or can.

Mess caused by the search for cans

Since the new deposit rules came into effect, the amount of litter in the city has only increased. Passers-by and cleaners particularly notice that things are becoming increasingly untidy at stations and on busy streets. People tear open bin bags and rummage through bins, looking for bottles and cans. As a result, litter is increasingly scattered from the bags onto the streets, meaning twice as much work for cleaners.

Donating as a solution

In central Amsterdam, the locks on the bins are therefore also being changed from now on. Another, better and more sympathetic solution is the donation racks attached to bins. People can easily hang their bottle or can here, allowing someone else to take it more easily and return it. The so-called DoneerRing is already installed in 18 cities, including Den Bosch, Zwolle and Purmerend.

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Image in article: DoneerRing