European Citizens' Initiative: Commission decides to register plastic bottle recycling initiative "Let's return plastic"

On Friday, European Commission decided to register a European Citizens 'Initiative entitled "Returning Plastics: A Citizens' Initiative to Introduce a Reimbursable Fee System for Plastic Bottle Recycling at EU Level" (ReturnthePlastics). The organizers of the initiative call on the Commission to adopt a proposal for: introduction of a refund system for recycling plastic bottles at EU level, encouraging all EU Member States to introduce packaging acceptance devices in supermarkets (retail chains) that sell plastic bottles to recycle plastic bottles purchased and used by the consumer and the introduction of a plastic tax for companies producing plastic bottles, which will cover the costs of recycling and refundable systems for plastic bottles (according to the "polluter pays" principle). The Commission considers that the initiative is legally permissible because it meets the prescribed conditions, and has not yet examined its content. More information is available in an online press release - https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/hr/ip_21_4182