Half a Billion Bottles and Cans Returned at REpoints

The number of bottles and cans returned under the new recycling system has reached half a billion this week, Mol's waste management concession company MOHU has told MTI.

The statement said that MOHU's goal is to recycle at least 90% of beverage packaging in Hungary, where it is estimated that more than 3 billion beverage containers are in circulation every year.

It is explained that there are currently 3,700 places where bottles can be returned, of which 1,300 are manual returns. This number will increase in the future.

It is pointed out that the return points are not designated by the MOHU, but can be applied for voluntarily. MOHU pays a handling fee to the shops for each bottle returned. The shops are responsible for the daily operation, emptying and cleaning of the recycle machines.

According to the MOHU's statement, manual returns, which are mainly in small villages, are expected to increase as customers are attracted by the possibility of returning their bottles.

The most popular method of redemption is the paper voucher, which can be used as payment in shops, and so far, more than HUF 20 billion has been redeemed this way.

The possibility to transfer the redemption fee directly to the customer's bank account is unique in Europe for domestic recycle machines, with around 10-15% of redeemers choosing this option. According to MOHU, more than one million people have downloaded the necessary application.

The machines also offer the possibility to transfer the redemption fee to charity. This time, it is for children. So far, customers have donated around HUF 70 million, and this amount, growing steadily, will be distributed among three national pediatric institutions: the Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute, Bethesda Children's Hospital and the Pediatric Clinic of Semmelweis University.