The working group for the introduction of a deposit system in Bulgaria held a meeting to learn about the experience of Romanian experts who participated in the introduction of the deposit system in Romania. The meeting was held with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Nikolay Sidzhimov.

The participants in the working group - representatives of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, soft drink producers and brewers, recyclers, retailers, packaging waste recovery organizations, Bulgarian National Consumers Association, had the opportunity to receive practical advice on how to organize the deposit system in our country.

The collection points for the deposit packaging should be convenient for people; the obliged industry should cover the costs of the deposit system; the system operator should not be allowed to distribute profit; the collected deposit packaging should be the property of the operator - these are the most important principles drawn from the practical experience in Romania, which according to the visiting experts should be followed in order to avoid problems in the implementation of the system.

The Romanian experts presented the structure of the system operator of the deposit system, as well as the stages and the way to control its activities. They shared with their Bulgarian counterparts the understanding that the deposit system is the most efficient method for collecting clean and high quality recyclable materials. Its functioning should be parallel and complementary to the existing systems that implement the principle of extended producer responsibility.

The meeting was also attended by the contractees with the Ministry of Environment and Water under the public procurement procedure "Introduction of a new model for separate collection of packaging waste in Bulgaria", who are expected to propose a logistical organization for the implementation of the deposit system in Bulgaria in compliance with the principles of efficiency and effectiveness of the system, convenience and fair access for consumers, cost efficiency, and the lowest environmental footprint when choosing between the alternatives. The deadline for the submission of the analysis is three months after the signature of the contract, starting from 8 April 2024, and the results will be subject to a broad public discussion with all stakeholders.

Deputy Minister Sidzhimov informed that the MOEW expects to receive soon the opinions of working group members on the proposals for legislative amendments drafted by the Ministry to delineate the structure of the deposit system in Bulgaria.