At a press conference on Thursday, Environment Minister Petr Hladík announced that the Czech government has approved a proposed amendment to the packaging law, which would establish a deposit system for PET bottles and metal cans.

The Environment Ministry has suggested a four-crown deposit per item, with the final amount to be set by decree. The amendment, now set to be debated in parliament, is aimed at boosting recycling rates and reducing litter in both urban and natural areas.

The proposed legislation also includes new regulations for advertising leaflets, such as requiring manufacturers to pay a recycling fee and imposing restrictions on distributing leaflets to uninterested recipients. According to the ministry’s explanatory report, the law would take effect on January 1, 2025, with the deposit system rolling out a year later. The EU has set a target for member states to collect 90 percent of plastic beverage bottles by 2029, a goal the Czech Republic is currently falling short of for both plastic bottles and metal cans.

Ministry data shows that the country produces around 1.8 billion PET bottles and 0.8 billion cans each year, with significant portions of these not being properly sorted—approximately one in five bottles and three out of four cans. The ministry believes the introduction of a deposit system will improve recycling rates and increase the use of recycled materials.

“Czechs are good at sorting plastic, but we still need to improve our recycling of PET bottles and cans. I believe it’s crucial to ensure that plastic bottles and cans are not left in nature or urban areas,” said Hladík.

The amendment has stirred discussion among ministries, business groups, and local representatives, receiving over 700 comments during the inter-ministerial review. Concerns were raised about the economic impact of the deposit system on businesses and municipalities.

In response, Hladík argued that without a proper collection system, municipalities would face higher costs, and citizens would end up paying more in fees. He noted that municipalities would receive 15 percent of unclaimed deposits, amounting to an average of CZK 39 per citizen. “We are not overhauling the current sorting system but rather enhancing it to achieve better recycling outcomes. Sorting is not the same as recycling,” Hladík explained.

Sixteen European countries have already implemented deposit systems, and several others are preparing to follow suit. The Czech Republic remains one of the last nations in Europe without such a system for PET bottles and cans, and it lags behind in recycling efforts.