EKO-KOM

The authorized packaging company EKO‑KOM operates a nationwide system that provides take back and recovery of packaging waste – in accordance with the Packaging Act. No. 477/2001 Coll.

The EKO‑KOM System is based on the cooperation of industrial enterprises (clients), towns and villages. The system ensures that waste from packaging used by the consumer is sorted out, transported by refuse collecting vehicles, finally sorted  and used as a secondary raw material.

 How does it work?

Way of the packaging waste and the pattern of distribution of remuneration in the EKO‑KOM System

The green arrows show the path of packaging: consumers will buy the product and then will throw packaging into the color container for sorting waste. Collecting companies transport sorted packaging waste to the sorting line, where the waste is further categorized according to the different types of further processing. This modified waste goes to the processors, where recycled products are produced – this way the sorted PET bottles can returnes to you as a new cycling jersey …

The grey arrows: In 2021, 98.5% of the annual costs of authorized packaging company EKO‑KOM, a.s. were used to ensure collective compliance. Specifically, the breakdown was as follows: more than 83% was accounted for by the direct costs of waste activities (collection of packaging and provision of a collection network in municipalities, collection and recovery of industrial packaging, re-sorting of packaging waste, direct support for recycling of packaging waste). And given that municipalities and their inhabitants are key to the sorting of packaging waste, municipalities are responsible for the largest share. Direct payments to the participating municipalities for providing packaging waste take-back and collection networks and for delivering it through collection companies for re-sorting and treatment accounted for 63.5% overall in 2021. The level of rewards to municipalities depends mainly on the amount of waste sorted and increases with the efficiency of the collection system. Almost 20% of the total costs of the system were the costs of re-sorting packaging waste, the costs associated with the collection and recovery of industrial packaging waste and the direct promotion of recycling and recovery of packaging waste.

Almost 8% of the costs (7.7%) had to be spent on the creation of the statutory reserve. In the past, a capital reserve was built up, which was then used, for example, to cover the extra costs of authorized packaging companies for the collection and recycling of packaging waste in the event of unexpected falls in the price of secondary raw materials. According to the new legislation, the creation of a reserve for the authorized packaging company is mandatory. This obligation is laid down in Section 21a of Packaging Act No 477/2001 Coll., where it is directly stated that “The authorised company shall be obliged to create a reserve intended to cover the future costs of the combined fulfillment of the obligations of persons placing packaging on the market or in circulation, taking into account the financial risks involved, the aim of which is to ensure the continuity and availability of the provision of services by the authorised company.”

The amount of this legal reserve is to be at least 50 % of the total costs of the authorised company by 2025. Therefore, before the reserves reach this level, their creation will be a necessary and significant part of the system costs.

The cost of ensuring that all packaging and waste flows are conclusively recorded, including their control and regular audits, was 4.8% last year. Less than 3% of the costs were spent on mandatory awareness raising, environmental education of schoolchildren, consumer information and other activities leading to correct and efficient waste sorting in the Czech Republic. Own administrative and management costs amounted to 1.3% and statutory levies on the State accounted for 0.1% of the total costs.