Following repeated enquiries, we have received an official response from the Ministry of Energy to our questions on the mandatory redemption fee scheme. Its main findings are:
– Restaurants can be voluntary redemption sites on the basis of a tender announced by the concession company. In the case of catering establishments, the use of manual redemption is the main option, supported by a mobile redemption vending machine service. This service is available for 1000 intact bottles. In this case, the restaurant will also receive a handling fee from the concessionaire for each single-use bottle returned. There is no obligation to become a redemption point.
– It is important to note that there is one exception to the application of the mandatory redemption fee for catering outlets. If the guest consumes on the premises and the packaging of the product subject to the redemption fee is not handed over, the catering establishment will not be charged the redemption fee.
With the implementation of this new system, MOHU MOL Waste Management Ltd. informs that catering establishments will have the possibility to use the mobile reverse vending service as “business consumers” for empty single-use bottles collected at their premises. In this case, the concession company will provide periodic mobile vending machine returns of the packaging, with the possibility of requesting direct payment of the return fee to a bank account. However, in this case, in the absence of consumer redemption, no handling fee is payable by the catering establishment.