The highest Dutch administrative court has been asked to rule on government inspector plans to raise the deposit on plastic bottles or introduce a 15-cent return bonus from next year, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Wednesday.

Environment ministry inspectors are pressing for the increase, saying stronger financial incentives are needed to push return rates towards the legally required 90%.

The ILT wants deposits on small bottles to rise to €0.30 and on large bottles to €0.40 from January 1, an increase of 15 cents on the current rate. As an alternative, the agency suggests consumers could receive a 15-cent bonus when returning bottles for which they paid a 15-cent deposit.

Verpact, which represents producers and retailers including major supermarket chains and drinks companies, argues higher deposits would discourage consumers from buying soft drinks and that expanding the number of return machines would be more effective.

The organisation has asked the Council of State to suspend the ILT’s order, calling the penalty system counterproductive.

If Verpact does not adopt one of the measures at the beginning of next year, it faces a penalty of €1.5 million per day, up to a maximum of €21 million.

The ILT also wants Verpact to install at least 5,400 extra return machines by the end of 2026. The organisation had added just over 2,000 by September but says finding suitable locations is increasingly difficult.

The agency also backs making bottle returns compulsory for retailers that sell above a certain volume, forcing more shops to install deposit machines. It also wants to include dairy and fruit juice bottles in the recycling scheme. They currently account for some 16% of all plastic bottles sold.

The Council of State hearing is scheduled for Thursday, with a ruling expected in early December.

Verpact said in September nearly a quarter of all plastic bottles carrying a deposit were not returned last year, leaving consumers €139 million out of pocket.

In 2024, 77% of bottles with a 15- or 25-cent deposit were handed in for recycling, up from 74% a year earlier. Deposits were introduced four years ago to boost plastic recycling and reduce litter.