The initiative also provides for a ban on plastic bags with a thickness of less than 70 microns and the introduction of charges for bags permitted on the market.

The Ministry of Environment states in the explanatory report accompanying the draft decision that it “imposes direct financial obligations on producers, importers, packagers and packaging distributors, as well as retailers”.

Under the proposed rules, these businesses will be required to fund or participate in extended producer responsibility organisations and the deposit-refund scheme, with no financial support from the state budget.

The obligations include paying packaging fees to fund the operations of licensed environmental organisations, purchasing separate waste collection bins, transporting waste, and investing in reporting and traceability systems.

Businesses will also cover the costs of automated packaging return machines, management fees for shops participating in the scheme, and reimbursements to municipalities for the related waste management costs.

Financial contributions will be differentiated according to the characteristics of the packaging, including its recyclability and the proportion of recycled material it contains.

Another change will directly affect consumers. A monetary deposit will be charged at the point of purchase for single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres. The deposit will be fully refunded when consumers return the empty containers to an authorised collection point.

“The Deposit-Refund Scheme will be established for single-use beverage packaging, under which consumers will pay a deposit when purchasing a product, which will be fully refunded when they return the empty packaging to authorised sales outlets,” Article 7 of the draft decision states.

The scheme aims to ensure that at least 90% of the packaging covered by it is collected separately by 1 January 2031. Consumers will be entitled to receive their deposit back without being required to make another purchase.

Changes are also envisaged for plastic bags. The draft decision bans the production, import, distribution and use at points of sale of plastic carrier bags with a thickness of less than 70 microns, while maintaining exemptions for very lightweight bags used for hygiene purposes or for unpackaged food.

Bags with a thickness of 70 microns or more will be permitted only if they meet the technical and reusability requirements, but they will not be allowed to be provided free of charge.

“Plastic carrier bags as defined in point 3 shall not be provided to consumers free of charge. Their price must be displayed separately and clearly at the point of sale and, where technically feasible, recorded separately on the fiscal receipt,” Article 4 states.

Businesses must cease selling and withdraw stocks of banned bags by 30 June 2028.

According to the explanatory report, implementing the new requirements may require initial investment by economic operators to adapt their production, logistics and reporting systems.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment states that the reform will not entail any additional financial burden on the state budget.

The draft decision also provides for the new rules to come into general effect on 1 July 2028, with later deadlines for certain specific obligations. The document is still at the draft stage, and the final amounts of packaging fees and consumer deposits have yet to be determined.

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