Retail and Horeca: Expanding the deposit-refund system
20.12.2018
In addition to the customs tariff item 22 subject to the beverage container tax, Palpa is expanding the deposit-refund system to apply to fruit and vegetable juices as well as juice and beverage concentrates and glögg concentrates.
Accepted containers will include the Palpa return system’s current container types of aluminium cans, PET plastic bottles and glass bottles. Products of the product groups may be recognized as being subject to a deposit the same as the beverage containers that are already part of a deposit-refund system.
Registration of items included in the new product groups commences on 20 December 2018. Palpa will approve new products for the deposit-refund system on the 15th of each month (or on the last weekday preceding the 15th). Products may be sold subject to a deposit after they have been approved for the deposit-refund system.
Products in the new product groups will gradually become subject to a deposit, according to each beverage manufacturer’s or importer’s own schedule.
Recognizing a product as being subject to a deposit
With cans and plastic bottles, the containers subject to a deposit can be recognized based on the deposit marking on their labels.
Glass containers registered using a national barcode (the product is only sold in Finland using the barcode in question) also feature a deposit marking on their labels.
Glass containers registered using an international barcode (the product is sold globally using the barcode in question) do not have a deposit marking on their labels. In this case, a product may be recognized as being subject to a deposit based on a marking on the shelf or on the receipt for purchase.
Whether containers are subject to a deposit may also be checked using the Palpa online tool.
Sorting containers into transport units
Containers for the new product groups are sorted into transport units the same as the containers subject to a deposit that are already part of the deposit-refund system.
Breweries and importers: Expanding the deposit-refund systems
20.12.2018
Palpa is expanding the deposit-refund systems to apply to, in addition to the customs tariff item 22 subject to the beverage container tax, fruit and vegetable juices as well as juice and beverage concentrates and glögg concentrates. The product groups included in the expansion have been described in greater detail in the “Product groups accepted into the return systems” table.
Product groups accepted into return systems
The registration of items included in the new product groups can be started immediately. Palpa approves new products into the deposit-refund systems every 15th and the last day of the month (or the weekday preceding them). Products can be sold subject to deposit after approval to return system. Product registration requires company membership in the return system of the container type in question.
The container must conform to the current material and marking requirements.
Package design guidelines:
The value of the deposit is determined by the volume of the product packed in the container. Palpa follows deposit values in accordance with the decree on the return systems of certain beverage containers.
In plastic bottles and cans, when products that did not used to be subject to a deposit become subject to a deposit, the old barcodes may not be used.
When products that did not used to be subject to a deposit become subject to a deposit, the old barcodes may not be used in glass containers registered using a national barcode (the product is only sold in Finland using the barcode in question). The barcode does not need to be changed in glass containers registered using an international barcode (the product is sold internationally using the barcode in question).
As the administrator of the deposit-refund systems, Palpa may limit the products approved for the deposit-refund systems. Container content residues may not impair the recycling value of the material, cause interruptions or malfunction of the reverse vending machines or create hygiene or odour hazards in the storage or transport of empty containers.
Because of the expansion, the Rules of deposit-refund systems have been amended. The Introduction page includes a note that the system will also include beverage containers that are not subject to the tax relief.
New membership fees and the membership fee policy
30.11.2018
The membership fees will change as of 1 January 2019. From that point on, the membership fee will be EUR 1,000 (VAT 0%) in all return systems and it will be invoiced in one instalment. The membership fee will be invoiced when the company registers its first product or sells products included within the scope of the system.
Companies that have already joined the can or plastic bottle retrn systems will not be charged more membership fees.
Companies that have joined the glass bottle return system in 2018 and have opted for an annual fee will be charged an additional EUR 187 (VAT 0%) in 2019. Companies that have joined the glass bottle return system before 2018 will not be charged more membership fees.
The amendment pertaining to the membership fee policy has resulted in a change to the rules of the deposit-refund systems (Definitions, Membership Fee). The Membership Fee is paid for the establishment and development investments linked to joining the deposit-refund system, and it is paid in the year in which the member issues products included in the system to circulation or registers a product in the deposit-refund system.
Palpa recycling fees 2019
23.11.2018
In the plastic bottle, the fees of clear bottle will reduce by 10%. Recycling fees for cans and glass bottles do not change.
| BEVERAGE CAN | Recycling fee 1.1.2019 (vat 0%) |
||
| Aluminium can | 0,00552 | ||
| PET BOTTLE | Recycling fee 1.1.2019 (vat 0%) |
||
| Clear, less than 1,0 litre | 0,01548 | ||
| Clear, 1,0 litre or more | 0,03096 | ||
| Coloured, less than 1,0 litre | 0,02459 | ||
| Coloured, 1,0 litre or more | 0,03934 | ||
| Mixed material, less than 1,0 litre | 0,07712 | ||
| Mixed material, 1,0 litre or more | 0,11568 | ||
| GLASS BOTTLE | Recycling fee 1.1.2019 (vat 0%) |
||
| Retail product | |||
| International barcode | |||
| 0,5 litre or less | 0,08640 | ||
| Over 0,5 litre | 0,14400 | ||
| National barcode | |||
| 0,5 litre or less | 0,07920 | ||
| Over 0,5 litre | 0,13680 | ||
| Horeca product | |||
| 0,5 litre or less | 0,13230 | ||
| Over 0,5 litre | 0,22050 | ||
Importers an breweries: New design guidelines for deposit-based beverage containers
03.09.2018
Palpa has updated guidelines for the design and labeling of deposit-based beverage packages. The design guidelines have been supplemented and clarified on the basis of experience and feedback.
The bar code size guidelines have been updated to the GS1 Finland guidelines. The bar code size measurement method as well as the minimum height of the bar code have changed.
In the case of plastic and glass bottles, the bar code placement guidelines have changed.
Information on the bar code usage area, the difference between the retail and Horeca products, the use of the deposit symbol and the change of the importer have been added to the glass bottle design guidelines.
The plastic bottle marking guidelines and material specification are combined with the same document.
New guidelines can be introduced flexibly within the transition period by 31 August 2019.
Guidelines for aluminium cans 9/2018