The Seimas the idea of adding more packages to the taromat system is being revived. Traders warn that the ambitions will undermine the deposit system already in place, but the MPs behind the proposal say the system needs to be invested in and improved in order to make packaging more tidy.
This time, the parliamentarians propose to expand the scope of container collection in the taromat system in the country from 2023 to include both glass bottles of strong alcohol and the plastic container into which milk is poured.
According to the parliamentarians, the packages would be accepted by the taromamats already in operation, but Rūta Vainienė, head of the Association of Lithuanian Trade Companies, doubts this. Gintaras Varnas, director of "Zažstast systemos administriaus", warns that an additional 60 will accumulate in taromats and stores where packages are handled manually. tons of glass.
It is high time to start the discussion about the development of taromats
"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 objectives of the European Union", says Aistė Gedvilienė, chairwoman of the Environmental Protection Committee of the Seimas.
She and a group of parliamentarians in the Seimas registered amendments to the Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste Management, which provide for the expansion of the deposit system.
They envisage that all packages of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, no larger than three liters, will be included in the deposit system.
Now taromats do not accept part of such tare. If Seimas if the proposed changes are accepted, bottles of champagne, vodka and other strong drinks, which are now thrown into glass containers, as well as plastic containers for milk, yogurts and even jars, could be carried in taromats.
A. Gedvilienė says that now is the time to start discussions about the development of the taromat system.
"To see if it is worthwhile to expand and send a message to businesses about possible changes," said the MP to BNS.
Traders are not ready
The head of the company "Ožstatas sistemus administriaus", the owner of taromats, says that such an offer is surprising.
"Decisions have been made regarding the radical transformation of the container system to make it work as well as the bail system does. In addition, a study has been conducted and it says that it is irrational, it refutes the meaning of the expansion (of the bail system - BNS), G. Varnas said to BNS.
According to him, after expanding the deposit system, stores would accumulate an additional 60. tons of glass. Now about 10 thousand are brought to taromats. tons of glass bottles.
"Obviously, traders are not ready for this," he is convinced.
According to G. Varna, none of the countries with a deposit system, except Finland, add bottles of strong drinks to the dispensers: "This means that this is more the exception than the rule."
It is more convenient to throw away the glass in special containers, rather than carrying it in taromats
Rūta Vainienė, head of the Association of Lithuanian Trade Companies, also criticizes the proposals and doubts whether such an expansion of the deposit system will reduce glass pollution, but "will add a lot of costs and inconveniences".
"Taromats already collect glass, but compared to other packaging, it is collected the worst, because it is more convenient for people to throw glass, because it is heavy, into bells (special waste containers - BNS) if they are close to their homes," traders told BNS representative
"It is not definitively clear what is intended to be included in the taromat system, because all plastic is included, so plastic bottles of milk and even glass packages of drinks up to three liters could potentially go there," R. Vainienė thought.
She is convinced that after the decision to expand the taromat system, both the machines themselves and the premises where they stand should be radically reorganized.
According to R. Vainienė, not all taromats can crush any glass.
"Due to the characteristics of the glass, it does not crush wine or champagne bottles. Square bottles are not crushed. Therefore, the premises should be increased. But imagine in cases where the container is collected manually, how to lift and store it for people is a big additional task," she said.
R. Vainienė, among other things, drew attention to the increasing sound and odor pollution emitted by taromats.
"When you come to a shopping center, if there is a vending machine there, you can already hear how loudly it works, if there were more glass, it would be much more noisy. Already now, not only customers complain, but also employees who constantly hear it. And even if cleaning is ensured, the smells still remain", said R. Vainienė.
It also predicts that the expansion of the taromat system would lead to higher prices.
In 2019, the Ministry of the Environment already analyzed the possibility of expanding the proven package deposit system and starting to collect bottles of strong alcohol, but that idea was abandoned.
The Seimas also did not support the initiative of some "peasants" to allow as many empty containers as possible to be brought to the taromats - and the ones that contained oil or milk, as well as jars of various shapes.
The deposit system started functioning in February 2016. Empty containers of beer, cider, water, gira and other non-alcoholic beverages are now accepted in the taromats.
The author is Sniegė Balčiūnaitė
