Last week, the European Deposit Return Systems Association (EDRSA) was officially established in Slovakia, bringing together 17 European countries to enhance cooperation and innovation in single-use deposit return systems. Among the founding members are the national deposit return systems from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and Austria. Marian Ac, head of Slovakia’s deposit system, has been appointed as the first president of the EDRSA.
With the establishment of EDRSA, industry leaders hope to strengthen international cooperation, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices, improve efficiency and environmental sustainability, and foster the development of effective and sustainable deposit return systems across Europe.
It follows in the footsteps of the DRS – The Association of Deposit and Return Systems, founded in 2022 as a collaborative effort to enhance beverage packaging recycling. Interestingly, the founding members of DRS are identical to those of the EDRSA.
