From 2026, a deposit system for PET bottles and beverage cans will probably start operating in the Czech Republic. The Ministry of the Environment hopes to improve recycling and reduce waste in public spaces with the amendment to the Packaging Act currently under preparation. At the same time, the deposit system will probably also have a positive impact on the budgets of individual municipalities, as on average the municipality will receive an extra CZK 39 for each citizen. Croatia and Slovakia, for example, have also introduced a beverage container deposit system in the past.

In practice, this will mean that if you buy a drink in a PET bottle or can, you will pay a deposit on top of the price of the drink. The deposit is estimated to reach CZK 4 at minimum. You will receive your deposit back when you return the given container at the collection point. All final sellers, i.e. those who sell beverages to the final consumer (supermarket, petrol station, etc.) will be obliged to set up a collection point. The ministry estimates that this will create up to 11,000 collection points. Additional obligations will also arise for beverage producers, who will have to register their produced containers with the deposit system operator.