Within its sustainable economy goals, Czechia is planning to introduce a deposit-refund system for PET bottles and cans from mid-2025. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the price is expected to be four crowns, but the final price will be set by a decree within an amendment to the Packaging Act.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, around 1.8 billion PET bottles and 0.8 billion cans are sold in the country every year. A significant amount of this packaging ends up outside the sorted waste stream, approximately one in five PET bottles. The situation is even worse with cans, with three out of four cans not getting sorted.

The take-back obligation should apply to all shops and petrol stations with an area of more than 50 m². Online retailers will also have to accept returnables. Small shops, kiosks, and municipalities will be encouraged to join the system on a voluntary basis. The main reason why we are introducing this is that we don't want thousands of used cans strewn on the street and in ditches along the road.

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