Business news

MINSK, 3 May (BelTA) – German investors would like to take part in a project to introduce a deposit-refund system for non-refillable drinks in Belarus. Belarus’ National Agency of Investment and Privatization (NAIP) hosted a meeting with representatives of German business on 2 May to discuss this matter, BelTA learned from the NAIP website.

The event was attended by Mark Hauptmann, a member of the committee on foreign affairs of the German Parliament, Daniel Walther, General Manager of Higgins Cooperation Management GmbH, Patrick Wiedemann, CEO of Reverse Logistics Group (RLG), and Younes Ouaqasse, a representative of Ernst & Young. On behalf of Belarus the meeting was attended by representatives of the National Agency of Investment and Privatization, the state enterprise “Operator of Secondary Material Resources” and Yuri Ddorogoupets, the chairman of the standing committee on housing policy and construction of the House of representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus.

“The deposit and return system for non-refillable drinks packaging was presented during the meeting. The German side, in turn, presented a system developed by Reverse Logistics Group together with Atos specially for Belarus.

Patrick Wiedemann spoke about the operation of the system in Germany and expressed an interest to act as an investor in the clearing sector. The parties identified the steps for further cooperation and agreed to establish a working group to address all issues,” the NAIP said.

A deposit-refund system (DRS), also known as a deposit-return system, is a surcharge on a product when purchased and a rebate when it is returned. The system will be applied in food stores with the help of a reverse vending machine, store personnel and also in waste collection points.