Aistė Gedvilienė, chairwoman of the Seimas Environmental Protection Committee, will propose to the Seimas to expand the deposit system in Lithuania, including the collection of strong alcohol containers.
On Thursday, on behalf of a group of parliamentarians, she intends to submit amendments to the Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste Management to the Seimas. In the explanatory note of the document, A. Gedvilienė states that this proposal will contribute to more efficient packaging waste management, reduction of environmental pollution and implementation of environmental protection requirements.
"Taking into account the fact that the deposit system works successfully in Lithuania, residents evaluate it favorably, the release of container waste participating in the deposit system into nature or mixed waste containers has significantly decreased, the draft law proposes to expand the collection of single-use containers into the system by including containers of strong alcohol, which are usually are made of glass. It is necessary to expand the volume of collection of glass containers, because the rate of collection and recycling of these single-use packages remains low, according to which Lithuania lags behind the EU's goals," the explanatory note of the document says.
It is noted that in 2016, when the deposit system (deposit system) for single-use packaging started operating in the country, Lithuania became one of the leaders in the world in terms of collection of these packages, surpassing even countries where the system started operating earlier.
According to 2019 data, 92% of single-use beverage packages, and 85 percent residents said that participation in the deposit system encouraged them to sort other waste as well.
It is proposed that the new provisions of the law enter into force in 2023. January 1
Jadvyga Bieliavska (ELTA)
