The participation of deposit packers (manufacturers and importers of beverages) in the deposit system is a key prerequisite for ensuring the management and recycling of beverage packaging most commonly found discarded in nature, thus making our environment cleaner. As packers register beverage packaging in the deposit system, it is ensured that this packaging is managed in the most effective manner possible today, and the likelihood of the packaging provided by the manufacturer or importer in question ending up in a river or a forest is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, packers that join the deposit system will receive an exemption from the waste management and natural resources tax for the containers that are managed within the deposit system. Packers that bring enough beverage products to the market and produce more than 150 kg of deposit packaging a year must participate in the system.
All packers whose products lead to at least 150 kg of consumed beverage packaging per calendar year (Packaging Law) must sign the base agreement with SIA Depozīta Iepakojuma Operators.
For additional information, see the State Environmental Service explanation on participating in the deposit system: link
The base agreement includes:
These annexes are ONLY binding to and must be signed by those packers that bring products in reusable packaging to the market.
Manufactures or imports 150 kg or more of beverages in deposit packaging per calendar year.
As stated in Section 18.1 of the Packaging Law, deposit packers that manufacture or import beverages leading to a production of at least 150 kg of used deposit packaging must sign an agreement with the deposit system operator. This requirement also applies to all draught beer outlets, bars, and shops that sell draught beer for takeaway in one of the types of containers included in the deposit system, namely PET or glass bottles. The contract must be based on the same conditions for all deposit packers.
The duties and responsibilities of packers as part of the deposit system can be found in the Deposit packaging management agreement document, available in the Documents section.
The participation fee for the first operating year of the deposit system (2022) is set in the ‘Operating plan for the arrangement and implementation of the deposit system’; the deposit system participation fee rates for the subsequent years will be calculated based on the methods determined by the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK).
The registration of a product in the deposit system packaging register is required for the inclusion of every type of packaging in the deposit system. More details about the registration of deposit packaging are available in the Deposit packaging management agreement and the Packer manual, which can be found in the Documents section.
To register packaging, you must have signed an agreement with DIO.
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In order for the deposit system to recognise containers for which the deposit fee and the deposit participation fee have been paid, all deposit products (product labels) must have a Latvian deposit sign (disposable or refillable (AU) container) and a new barcode. Changing the barcode is necessary for the deposit system to recognise the packaging, for which the EUR 0.10 deposit fee has been paid.
If a manufacturer of imported beverages cannot adapt its labels to the requirements of the Latvian deposit system, the importer must ensure that appropriate stickers are made and applied to the deposit packaging. The sticker standard must be approved by the deposit system operator.
The dimension and colour requirements for barcodes can be found in the Deposit Packer Manual, in the ‘Documents’ section.
The dimension and location requirements for the deposit sign can be found in the Deposit Packer Manual, in the ‘Documents’ section.
Yes, it is allowed to have deposit signs for multiple countries on packaging. The Latvian deposit sign must be provided with an outline, so that it is separated from the other elements of the label.
In order for a product in deposit packaging to be successfully released on the market, the packer must register each of its products in deposit packaging once the corresponding agreement is signed with the deposit system operator. The deposit system operator keeps a single deposit packaging register, with all of the products released on the Latvian market. Registering a product in the packaging register involves filing the product’s name, code, type, packaging material, type, dimensions, weight, with a check of the presence of the deposit sign, and its compliance to the type of deposit packaging (disposable or reusable). A sample of the packaging is also tested in reverse vending machines (RVMs), to confirm that the barcode is legible, and to save details about the packaging in question in the database.
By entering into an agreement with the Depozīta Iepakojuma Operators SIA packers shall obtain an exemption from the Natural resources tax for packaging managed within the deposit system (registered in the Deposit System Register). All deposit container management costs shall be covered DIO. The tax exemption shall take effect from the first day of the first month of the following quarter after entering into the agreement with the deposit system operator for participation in the deposit system.
A taxpayer who sells beverages in deposit packaging as defined in the legislation on packaging management and who is obliged to participate in the deposit system, but who has not entered into an agreement with the deposit system operator on participation in the deposit system and does not participate in the deposit system (the packaging is not registered in the Deposit System Register), shall pay tax on the deposit packaging at double the rate.
A transition period for the new deposit products is set between 1 January and 30 June 2023. During it, retailers will continue to sell products with both the old packaging without the deposit sign, and the new packaging that has the deposit sign and involves an additional fee of 10 cents, which can later be reimbursed by returning the empty packaging at a deposit station. Starting from 1 July 2023, only new packaging with deposit signs will be allowed in stores.
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