DEPOSIT-REFUND

The Economic Instruments database, created in close collaboration between the OECD and the EEA, contains information on the use of economic instruments such as environmentally-related taxes and charges, environmentally motivated subsidies, tradable permits, and deposit refund systems. It also outlines voluntary policy approaches such as environmental agreements negotiated with industiy, and public programs in which firms can volunteer to participate. 

Deposit refund systems involving a refundable deposit paid on potentially polluting products. 

Finland All packaging waste 70%-85% of packaging waste recovered by 2001 Charges on non-refillable containers. Voluntary deposit-refund on plastic bottles. Shared producer responsibility. 

Germany Packaging 64% plastic recycling Mandatory deposit/ refund system. DSD system responsible for collection and recovery of packaging. 

Deposit-refund systems Combination of charges subsidies to provide incentives... 

Basic cable television service, which includes 16 channels, costs 15 a month. The initial labor fee to install the service is 25. A 65 deposit is required but will be refunded within two years if the customer s bills are paid in full. Other cable services may be added to the basic service the movie channel service is 9.40 a month the news channels are 7.50 a month the arts channels are 5.00 a month the sports channels are 4.80 a month. 

A television costs 400 to purchase. Renting the same television requires making a 50 non-refundable deposit plus monthly payments of 25. After how many months will the cost to rent the television equal the cost to purchase it ... 

Upon presentation, in person, of the requested documentation of our original 130.00 deposit, I would like a full refund. 

China had originally set issuance of its vegetable oil import licenses by March 5 but had only begun distributing them in early April. Two-thirds of the annual 2.4-million ton quota was to be allocated to private importers. Nevertheless, palm oil imports by China surged in March. Before the quota, China had already imported about 300,000 tons this year, some of which were waiting at ports in bonded warehouses for the licenses to be distributed. About half of the palm oil imports were allowed to clear customs before April because importers could deposit a 52-percent over-quota tariff for them. When the importers received their quotas, the differences against the 9-percent-within-quota tariff was refunded. 

Once analytical capability and rapid turn around time are available locally or on the farm, many crop management decisions will be guided by this type of analysis. One example available commercially allows state inspectors to rapidly check that pesticide containers have been properly rinsed before they are discarded. Certain states require a deposit on all restricted pesticide containers. Deposits are refunded only if the container being returned passes a rapid assay which confirms that the container has been properly rinsed. The tests currently used for this on-site analysis are based on immunoassays as well as a colorimetric cholinesterase inhibition assay (26). 

The consumer pays a deposit, usually 5 cents, when buying the container and then receives a refund of that fee when the bottle is returned to a designated collection point. In most cases, any retailer that sells beverages of that type is obligated to accept the returns and refund the deposit. The majority of states provide for a handling fee for the retailer to at least partially offset the costs of managing the system. 

Hawaii s system is the newest, going into effect Jan. 1, 2005. It covers nonalcoholic drinks, except for milk and dairy products, and certain alcoholic drinks (beer, malt beverages, mixed spirits, and mixed wine) that are sold in aluminum, PET, or HDPE containers of 64 oz capacity or less. In addition to the 5-cent deposit, consumers pay a non-refund-able 1-cent container fee. As in California, containers must be returned to redemption centers. 

Felder, M. and C. Morawski, Evaluating the Relationship Between Refund Values and Beverage Container Recovery, CM Consulting, April, 2003, http //www.bottlebill.org/assets/pdfs/geogra-phy/deposit%201evels.pdf. 

The existence of bottle deposit legislation continues to be an important factor in PET recycling. It was estimated that, in 1997, 54% of the PET soft drink bottles recycled came from bottle-bill states, while these states accounted for only 29% of the population. Recycling rates for soft drink bottles in deposit states range from 76 to 90%. It should be noted that the low end represents California, which has a bottle refund system rather than a true deposit. The monetary incentive in California is lower than in true deposit states, and the refund system is less convenient. 

An important consideration with respect to the resource, environmental, and toxicological impacts of products is product stewardship, basically the control exercised in their use and ultimate fate. Product stewardship is relatively facile for products used within an enterprise or for those that are leased with responsibility for their fate retained by the owner rather than the user. Stewardship becomes more problematic for products sold to the consumer market. Refundable deposits such as those placed on beverage containers in some localities help ensure the recycling of products. Recycling is also increased by the ready availability of recycling centers or bins where spent itons or materials may be deposited. 

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