Circular economy
A way of organising production and consumption so materials stay in use through repair, reuse, refilling or recycling, rather than being discarded after a single use. It is a model, not a single policy.
Circular economy terms, explained without the jargon
Glossary
Six terms that keep appearing in this reporting
EPR
Extended producer responsibility. Manufacturers and importers pay fees or take on obligations tied to the packaging or products they place on the market, funding collection and recycling systems.
DRS
Deposit-return scheme. A small deposit is added to the price of a bottle or can and refunded when the container is returned, usually via a reverse vending machine.
Fibre-to-fibre recycling
Processing used textiles back into new fibres for spinning, as opposed to downcycling into insulation or wiping cloths, which is currently more common for mixed-fibre garments.
Refill station
A counter or dispenser where a household chemical, cleaning product or personal care item is poured into a reusable container, avoiding a new package each purchase.
MŽP
Ministerstvo životního prostředí, the Czech Ministry of the Environment, which drafts and consults on waste and packaging legislation.
Why deposit-return schemes need infrastructure, not just a fee
Adding a deposit to a bottle only works if there is somewhere convenient to return it. Germany's and Slovakia's systems rely on dense networks of reverse vending machines in shops, which is part of what any Czech rollout would need to replicate.
Why small manufacturers ask about thresholds first
EPR rules often exempt businesses below a certain turnover or packaging volume. The first question a small workshop owner usually has is not "what do I owe" but "does this apply to me at all".
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