Raising awareness on packaging deposit and strategic approach to harmonize packaging deposit systems in Estonia and Latvia

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Project`s background The generation of packaging waste has increased over the last decade. In order to reduce the environmetal impact of packaging waste, it is important to ensure its collection and recycling. Packaging deposit system has been used as an effective tool to collect and recycle packaging waste. Deposit system has proved to be far more effective and with higher quality with ca 90% of collection rate than others like packaging public collection points. Deposit system helps to fulfil ambitious new EU wide waste targets for 2025 and beyond. To date, the deposit system has been implemented in each Member State separately and no cross-boarder systems have been set up so far.  Joint project idea started in summer 2018 and has been supported by both governements. This project would be frontrunner and pilot project in EU as it would cross borders and would help both countries on achieving its waste targets. Estonia has well functioning packaging deposit system from 2005, Latvia has agreed to set up it in 2022. Project lead partner is Ministry of the Environment of Estonia and partner is Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia. Cross-border nature With increasing cross border trade and need to fulfil ambitious waste recycling targets more cross border cooperation is needed, especially in border area where joint system could have many benefits. As Estonia and Latvia are two small countries in EU, it would be perfect point to start with. There has been also interest by other countries for this kind of cross-border approach for packaging deposit system because EU with its single market cannot afford 27 different systems and thus, needs to look at ways to harmonise them. The EE-LV joint system would be frontrunner and pilot project in the EU as it would cross borders and would help both countries on achieving its waste targets by complementing each other. So it is good time to find joint solution. First, strategic approach and roadmap for such joint solution (how plastic bottles bought from Latvia can be returned and deposit received in Estonia and vice-versa) will be developed. Also pilot in Valka-Valga will be implemented and country wide public awareness campaign will be run with special emphasis on border regions. The emphasis on border regions, initially is a good starting point for demonstration as this is the point at which the highest intensity of cross-border movement of packaging within the deposit system occurs and thus the experiences at this point are vital for extrapolation of lessons learned in order to facilitate replication on the broader scale in both countries. Objective Increased awareness of packaging waste issues, especially on packaging deposit system, and its benefits, developed strategic approach to harmonize packaging deposit system and work towards joint system between Estonia and Latvia. With public campaign increased awareness of separate waste collection and deposit system will be achieved. Also awareness on potential joint system will be raised. It will be supported by other project activities. As effective and efficient waste management is key for success in circular economy, this project will also achieve savings on material and energy resource and improve reuse opportunities. Project will have direct impact on raising public awareness of resource efficiency. Main activities The project’s goal is to analyse the extent to which the harmonization of the system's is possible and under what conditions it could be implemented and raise awareness of effective and efficient waste management that is needed for transition to the circular economy. The project would analyse possible options for joint system of packaging deposit system between two countries. As both countries are small, it is good to find joint effective solution. Project would focus mainly on data (product and waste flow) analysis, economic assessments  and scenarios whether it is viable to have it cross-border. Main activities are solution-oriented workshops (including public sector, producers, recyclers), 2 public awareness campaigns (including pilot small-scale investment in Valga-Valka), stakeholder engagement, development of harmonised system and regulations and giving political and technical guidance to improve cooperation. In project events at least 360 participants will attend and in public campaigns at least 85 000 citizens will be influenced. Main activities of this project are related with working packages, the aim of which is to raise public awareness on packaging deposit system and setting up possible joint system. Also there is a need for awareness raising on general packaging waste issues and opportunities of widening the scope of deposit system. Awareness is a key element for better waste management and achieving a circular economy, where waste is looked at as a valuable resource. For a cohesive and coordinated outcome between the countries and among the stakeholders engaged in waste management issues, a communication action plan will be developed for targeted actions. Informative and educational digital materials will help to disseminate the message. Public awareness campaign will help to understand the value of deposit system and its joint opportunites and raise interest of contribution from each of us among general public. Pilot in Valka-Valga region will be developed during the project to show the value of the joint system and also improve cross-border cooperation in border cities. To set up joint system, collection of existing data and missing links is needed. Workshops will focus on solving challenges by finding solutions. Political and technical guidance and capacity building will support the establishment of roadmap. Roadmap and assessing key issues of joint system will be the basis of future work and lead to joint system.

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