It is a pitch-black, stormy evening. In a remote corner of our little chickadee, in a brewery drenched in the aromas of hops and barley, a sinister plot is being forged. The goal? Evading the deposit requirement on cans. The culprit? None other than Heineken, the beer behemoth we all know and (occasionally) appreciate.
The Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) has called in its sleuths and bloodhounds to investigate the matter. They have set their sights on Heineken, which is accused of having deployed cans without a deposit when it was already prohibited. A representative of the prosecution confirmed this to the ANP, presumably while sipping his - hopefully with a deposit - beer.
As of April 1, there is a deposit requirement on cans. Beverage manufacturers were no longer allowed to market cans without a deposit symbol after this date. But Heineken, the disobedient brewery that they are, still did. They claimed there was a three-month transition period. Besides, they claimed, they didn't want to waste cardboard and cans. A noble goal, of course, but the Environmental and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) was unwavering. There was no transition period for the deposit cans.
Heineken was ordered to pay a penalty of up to 1 million euros. That's a hefty sum, even for a beer giant. So, like any good villain in a mystery, they gave in and agreed. They therefore did not have to pay a fine.... But the environmental organization Recycling Netwerk Benelux (LOL) had meanwhile filed charges against the beer producer. The OM looked at the environmental report and concluded: hey, we smell a rat! And so an extensive investigation was begun.
So here we are, in the middle of a frothing mystery. The prosecution is still investigating, so we don't know when it will be complete. But one thing is certain: the next time you open a can of Heineken, take a moment to think about the mystery of the deposit cans. Cheers!