What is Statiegeld? – You may ask. It’s a deposit-return system where a small fee is added to the price of a can or a glass/plastic bottle. That fee is refunded when you return the item for recycling in grocery stores and university campuses.

I think it’s a genius idea to encourage people to recycle cans, plastic, and glass bottles that have been used, loved, and abused for what feels like forever. Having convenience wrapped up in a bottle that you can take around with you is great, but there is a price to pay — and it may not be a lot at face value, but it sure does add up with time… especially in this economy. Every cent counts. Want to know what I think?

My Initial Impression with Statiegeld

As someone who came from a place that does not urge individuals to acknowledge and act on the recyclability of plastics, it was odd for me to see that they were charging me an extra fee of €0.15 for a plastic bottle that I could only get back if I recycled it. At first, my reaction was, “they want my money even if it is a few cents!!” but this was because it was too much of an inconvenience for me to return the bottle for a few cents – plus I had another reason to complain because who doesn’t love that?

In response to this discovery, I still went ahead with buying bottles and throwing them as per usual… but then it started adding up and I began noticing the hole left in my pocket. I realised that unless money is involved in the scheme of things, people just like me (in the beginning) do not really pay attention to how this simple act can help the circularity of plastic waste. In the bargain, it is a simple way to gain dopamine the next time you shop for groceries. How? Let’s wait until the next section for this part but overall I realised with time that it is really more than that and circularity, I’ll explain.

Budgeting and Easy Dopamine

As students or people in general, budgeting gets hard especially when you are approaching the end of the month and you’re craving something more, apart from your usual eggs and potatoes. This is when your cans and bottles ‘can’ come into play. At the grocery store, I feed them one by one into the machine, which scans them and prints out a voucher. The accumulated €0.15 from the recycling machines gives a good enough discount for you to treat yourself. As a student, this is a way I also began to use these bottles as my little ‘assets’ which is quite funny because it is so little yet enough for grocery runs without much of a compromise. Since it is a small amount, it can do more than just discounts, it can be a …

…A Helping Hand

Being a student, I could not afford to give back to people in need sometimes. So, giving these cans and bottles to them gave me a sense of relief that I can still do something if not everything. I noticed this in parks, where people in need collected bottles that others had either littered or were willing to give away; choosing to earn money this way instead of begging. Statiegeld opened doors for such people who are not only benefitting the environment but also helping themselves by doing this. Seeing this created an unexpected sense of connection — it was eye-opening to realize how something as small as a bottle could link my actions to someone else’s livelihood.

See that orange bar in the picture? It marks where you can leave your statiegeld bottles for recycling!

You Have More Control Than You Think

Now, it physically irks me to throw cans and bottles even back home because I do not know whether it will be recycled or not especially now with the climate – considering ignorance is no longer blissful.

I hope this initiative proceeds and expands to more countries that need it because I have come to realise that preaching sustainable behaviours can only get you to a point, but putting a price tag on their actions can definitely fetch that action from people. At the end of the day, one of the functions of money is to place value in things that are scarce and finally seeing a price tag on something this valuable is definitely a refreshing sight to see.

My name is Ria Kaldhone, and I have a background in Psychology from the University of Groningen. I’m currently in my first year of the Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability at CHARM-EU. I’m passionate about exploring how social innovation and communication can inspire sustainable behaviours and attitudes. I hope to influence change, facilitate reflection, and gain new perspectives as I continue to develop my outlook on today’s capable yet paralysed world.

To me, “green behaviour” is simply human behaviour — something natural that’s been redefined to stand apart from modern habits. Observing the world around me still fills me with childlike wonder, and maintaining that curiosity is one of my life’s purposes. People are my strength; I love meaningful conversations, as they energise and inspire me to keep going. So, please feel free to reach out — I’m always open to exchanging ideas and curiosities. Let’s stay curious and open-minded together while having fun!