Croatia's economy and sustainable development ministry intends to introduce in 2023 a new deposit scheme for packaging types and product groups which have not previously been included in the deposit scheme.

The changes refer to the introduction of deposits also to packaging with a volume below 0.20 litres, to multilayer and composite packaging with paper and cardboard being a dominant ingredient, for instance, a tetra pack, and to plastic packaging not made of PET, for instance, high-density polyethene (HDPE) packaging, the ministry has told Hina.

The ministry explains that the HDPE beverage packaging will be covered by the new deposit scheme.

This means that bottles for cooking oils and liquid detergents will not have deposits for their return.

Glass bottles for alcoholic and non-alcoholic with the volume up to 0.1 litres also fall within this new scheme.

The new scheme will elaborate the calculation and amounts of deposits.

Also, lightweight plastic bags up to 15 microns, which have been so far free, will be charged under the new scheme.

The new rules envisage measures for raising awareness of the harmfulness of discarded plastic debris and of the importance of reusable packaging.

A new design of labeling recyclable packaging subject to deposits is also proposed.

The new scheme and rules are available on the central web portal “e-savjetovanja” for public discussion until 10 December.