Latvia appoints TOMRA as reverse vending machine provider

The central system administrator for Latvia’s future deposit return system, SIA Depozīta Iepakojuma Operators, has signed a contract appointing TOMRA to provide the reverse vending technology for the upcoming bottle and can recycling programme.

Latvia’s deposit return system (DRS) will launch on 1 February 2022.

TOMRA, will supply between 800 and 1,000 automated collection points to make container returns as convenient as possible for Latvian consumers, and achieve the ambitious targets set by SIA Depozīta Iepakojuma Operators. 

Containers eligible for recycling in Latvia's deposit return system will include drink cans and plastic/glass bottles in various sizes. The containers will have a deposit value of €0.10, and grocery retailers will serve as return locations. The reverse vending equipment will be owned and maintained by TOMRA, and TOMRA will be paid based on the volume of beverage containers returned through the machines.

The new DRS will see Latvia join the other Baltic states in offering deposit systems. The DRS is also set to help Latvia achieve the goals of the European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive, which targets that its member states separately collect 90 per cent of plastic beverage containers for recycling by 2029, in a commitment to slashing plastic waste and pollution.

Miks Stūrītis, Chairman of the Board, SIA Depozīta Iepakojuma Operators, said: "[W]e have identified the planned volumes of returned packaging, as well as clarified the necessary RVM models in order to make the involvement of beverage manufacturers and retailers in the deposit system as easy as possible. TOMRA's previous experience with deposit systems in other countries will help us implement a safe and modern deposit system. Besides, convenient and modern RVMs are an essential precondition for introducing a new habit in society: the return of deposit packaging."

Harald Henriksen, Head of TOMRA Collection Solutions, added: "It is an honour to be appointed by SIA Depozīta Iepakojuma Operators to such an integral role in Latvia's future deposit return scheme for recycling. We are ready and enthusiastic to get work under way in rolling out the container return infrastructure across Latvia, to help the country deliver on its environmental ambitions and drive a circular economy through a world-class deposit return system."