DRS after two and a half years: what has changed for producers

The routine that has settled

For producers who place beverages in DRS packaging (0.1-3 litres) on the market, the obligations have stabilised: registration in the system, monthly reporting of quantities on the RetuRO portal and payment of the fees. What has NOT stabilised for many: the reconciliation between what is reported to the DRS, what is declared to the AFM and what actually exists in the packaging portfolio. All three must tell the same story - in a cross-check, the differences show immediately.

The most frequent confusion remains between the administration fee (the cost of running the system, per unit of packaging placed on the market) and the handling fee (linked to collection and processing). They are calculated differently, on different bases - and we often see them mixed up in internal calculations.

What we check for our clients

Three things, in this order: whether all the DRS codes in the portfolio are actually registered; whether the monthly figures reported tie in with the internal sales records; and whether the fees invoiced correspond to the correct packaging categories. In 8 out of 10 audits we find differences in at least one of the three.