From 2025, Czechs will also be able to sort metal packaging into all yellow collection bins where grey bins are not available. The largest trade unions of collection and sorting companies have agreed to extend and simplify the system of sorting metal packaging. The Czech municipal sorting system has already expanded to one million coloured bins nationwide by the beginning of 2025. Half of them, or 0.5 million pieces, are yellow ones. They are in all municipalities, where their number is growing, and more and more people have them in their family homes.
People in the Czech Republic sort very well and do it voluntarily. We are one of the best in the world. As a country, we have always met all the applicable targets for packaging. The simplification and extension of the system is to thank people for sorting so well. The cooperating associations want to make it even easier for people than it already is. "With waste sorting, it is important from the municipalities' point of view that people are as comfortable as possible in terms of the simplicity of the system and the proximity to where they can put their waste. Then the system achieves excellent results," says Pavel Drahovzal, Vice-Chairman of the Union of Towns and Municipalities.
In a number of regions, sorting metal packaging into yellow bins has been tried for several years and has proven to be an effective way to do this, with very good results. "Yes, many of our municipalities confirm that people have very much welcomed this extension, they praise it. And it also helps the municipalities themselves in better sorting results," adds Eliška Olšáková, chairwoman of the Association of Local Authorities.
Milan Doubravský from the Association of Municipal Services explains how the sorting lines have coped with the measure. "We know from experience that in regions where this has been tried successfully for several years, existing sorting lines have adapted very well to metal sorting. By increasing the number of bins where people can put their metals, the amount of sorted metals has increased significantly. The sorting lines are therefore gradually preparing to invest in machine separators as well, because they are already paying off."
Representatives of the largest associations - the Association of Municipal Services, the Association of Public Utilities and the Czech Waste Management Association - agree that the great advantage of the extension is that people will have many times more opportunity to dispose of metal packaging within a maximum distance of 90 m from their homes without significant costs. According to recent official figures from the Ministry of the Environment, 71.4% of all metal packaging is currently recycled in the Czech Republic. In the case of steel packaging, the figure is already 91.9%. These are very good figures even for the EU as a whole. With the further expansion of the network, we as the Czech Republic will continue to improve. Of course, this will also help us with beverage cans.
If people already sort 8 out of 10 PET bottles placed on the market into yellow bins, there is no reason why they should not also sort 8 out of 10 cans into the same bins. Metals are highly recyclable and in the Czech Republic, fully 99% of the metal packaging sorted is currently recycled. Sorting therefore makes clear sense.
Retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers also welcome the current action. This improvement and simplification of the system for people is therefore actively supported by the Association of Trade and Tourism, the Association of Czech Traditional Trade and the Association of Hotels and Restaurants. Pavel Březina from the Association of Czech Traditional Trade underlines the key importance of the fact that the extension applies to all metal packaging and not just beverage cans, and adds, " Our customers naturally generate all types of packaging waste, and we therefore support a solution that will ensure the common and efficient sorting and recycling of all types of packaging and indeed all municipal waste. We believe that it makes sense to deal with waste in a comprehensive way and in a way that makes it as simple as possible for people."
Feedback from people clearly confirms that this is the right way to go. Everywhere where metals have also started to be sorted into yellow bins, people are praising it. They find it easier and it's closer. It is also appreciated by municipalities and mayors, who are positively increasing the results of their statutory sorting obligations, because metals are heavy.
source: obaly21.cz
