Czech retail chains are calling for reform of the country’s beer bottle circulation system due to the increasing number of bottles and packaging that they claim cost millions of crowns yearly. The Association of Commerce and Tourism believes that the current system is unsustainable, and now is the time to reform the beer bottle circulation system, with a law on depositing PET bottles and cans currently being prepared.

At present, there are approximately 20 different types of beer bottles on the market, with various colors, shapes, and three-dimensionally highlighted brand logos. Additionally, around 50 types of packaging are marked with breweries’ logos and require additional deposit fees. Retailers are legally required to accept only deposit bottles from brands they sell, and the glass packaging is pre-sorted by employees to ensure that the correct bottles are placed in the packaging. However, this system of manual sorting in stores is not entirely effective, according to Jaroslav Vodáček from Tesco.

The Association of Commerce and Tourism suggests a single deposit fee with an ideally limited number of beer bottle types, which could be a way of reducing the costs associated with sorting bottles in stores and logistics centers, which retailers currently bear. Tesco’s Vodáček has explained that sorting bottles in stores and logistics centers is challenging and time-consuming, and retailers in the Czech Republic bear the costs. In Germany, specialized companies sort bottles for breweries, which is not the case in the Czech Republic.

This manual sorting system in stores is not entirely effective and requires more space, according to Tesco’s Vodáček. Retailers, therefore, transport bottles to the distribution center, where sorting takes place, and breweries then collect the sorted bottles from there. Vodáček believes that the current system’s growing number of bottles and packaging is unsustainable, and changes to the system are required to reduce costs.

In conclusion, the Czech retail chains are calling for reform of the country’s beer bottle circulation system to reduce the costs associated with sorting bottles in stores and logistics centers, which retailers currently bear. The Association of Commerce and Tourism suggests a single deposit fee with an ideally limited number of beer bottle types to reduce costs. However, the implementation of a new system may face challenges, as different breweries may want to maintain their unique branding with varied packaging.

Article by Prague Forum