Tomra supplies RVMs for Latvian effort

A new deposit-return system (DRS) for beverage container recycling started Feb. 1 in Latvia. Last year, that nation’s government appointed a business unit of Norway-based Tomra Group as the reverse vending machine (RVM) technology provider for the initiative.

Plans made by Latvia and Tomra call for more than 1,000 RVMs to be installed in the Eastern European nation on the Baltic Sea. Latvian consumers will pay an extra 10 cents when purchasing a beverage covered by the DRS. That amount will be refunded to them when they return the empty bottle or can for recycling.

Latvia aims is to achieve a return rate of more than 90 percent for eligible containers, says Tomra, which it calls in line with targets in the European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive set for 2029.

The country’s new deposit system accepts non-refillable and refillable glass bottles, plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Latvia’s DRS launch follows other EU DRS activity in 2021, with Slovakia unveiling its DRS system at the start of last year. Also at the start of 2021, Germany expanded its program to include more types of beverages and containers.

Tomra estimates its RVM investment in Latvia at around €20 million ($22.6 million), including the construction and installation of some 1,046 RVMs and 186 custom outdoor kiosks. Return locations in Latvia are at grocery stores.

Comments Eero Nõgene, CEO of Tomra Collection Latvia SIA, “As well as our great spirit of cooperation, the experience gained from Lithuania’s deposit return system launch six years ago helped us a lot to make Latvia’s roll-out a success. The system in Lithuania still works following the same high technical standards, values and quality as originally promised to the customer. Our job in the coming months is to get the system up and running as smoothly as possible to provide consumers with a convenient return service.”