New beverage package cooperation set to start next year
Press release 17 September 2003
Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry
Finnish Food Marketing Association
New beverage package cooperation set to start next year
The Finnish Food Marketing Association and the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry have developed a new model for the collection and recycling of beverage packages. The project began in February 2003 and the new model now needs to be approved by Finland's competition authorities. The system can be introduced in stages and the new model can be partly in operation by 1 January 2004.
The goal in the first stage is to coordinate activities and views concerning recyclable bottles and cans and to outline policy for maintaining and developing the system. Cooperation among all those participating in package recycling will, if the economic preconditions are sufficient, allow the development of other package systems alongside existing systems under the same umbrella organization. In the new model collection points, deposits, handling charges and the adding and removing of packages will be agreed jointly. The parties will also decide together on adding new actors to the system. The goal of cooperation is to develop an environmentally friendly recycling system and ensure the highest possible recycling rate.
The recycling of refillable bottles will be separated from the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry's activities and shifted to a new association. This association will be responsible for administering refillable beverage packages and related information according to previous plans. Suomen Palautuspakkaus Oy will continue to administer the recycling of cans. Cooperation in administering both systems will take place through recommendations. In practice food marketers have a seat on the company's board and matters involving the cooperation agreement are decided at board meetings.
From consumers' viewpoint the new system will not bring changes in bottle returns. Consumers will be able to return bottles as before. The goal is to make the system easier for consumers by allowing them to return more bottles and cans to the same place.
Both food marketers and breweries are satisfied with the new model. "The cooperation model provides good preconditions to make the beverage package system more open, uniform and efficient and to include other actors in the field, which we called for in January 2003," says Mr Pekka Kosonen, the chairman of the Finnish Food Marketing Association. According to Mr Johan Furuhjelm, the chairman of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry, "The need to develop the system is a natural phenomenon in our changing world. Cost-effectiveness will increase in a jointly coordinated system. Cooperation will also benefit consumers in the long run."
Additional information:
Chairman Johan Furuhjelm, Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry, tel. +358 9 294 991 (Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, switchboard)
Chairman Pekka Kosonen, Finnish Food Marketing Association, tel. +358 20 5321 (Suomen Spar Oyj, switchboard)
