Heineken is quite close to being branded with a €1million fine for successively ignoring the Deposit Return protocol on beverage cans in the Netherlands. The country expanded its deposit return scheme to include beverage cans from April 1.

Heineken is continuing to produce aluminium cans without the new deposit logo that differentiates it as a DRS-friendly item. The company is being accused of neglecting the new rule, which apparently is causing huge difficulties in implementing the scheme countrywide.

European countries are forcing the imposition of DRS to induce a circular economy along the aluminium beverage can manufacturing chain. As it is known, aluminium is 100 per cent recyclable and can promote a closed loop for raw materials. The DRS has been designed so consumers can return their end-of-life cans in exchange for cash. The scheme is not only limited to steel, tin or aluminium cans but also includes single-use plastic.

The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) publicised in a release: "Deposits on cans has been mandatory since April 1, but the brewery still produces cans without a deposit that are placed on the Dutch market."

"With this, the company is breaking the law because all new cans must be provided with a deposit logo."

"The penalty is 15 cents per wrongly marketed can, up to a maximum of 1 million euros. If there is still no compliance when this maximum amount is reached, the ILT can increase the penalty," ILT asserted.

The director of supervision and investigation at the ILT, Karin Visser, exclaimed: "The ILT closely monitors compliance with the law because deposits help against litter and are important for the circular economy."

"We are confident that Heineken will do its utmost and will have its cans with a deposit on the market as soon as possible," Visser concluded.