Survey: Almost All Slovaks Engage in Returning PET Bottles and Cans

Bratislava, November 23 (TASR) - As many as 95 percent of Slovaks make use of the system for returning PET bottles and cans, with 77 percent considering the system to be one that contributes to reducing the burden on the environment and to improving the quality of recycling, according to a recent survey. Meanwhile, the survey also showed that 80 percent of the respondents intend to continue returning the containers in the future as well. "Our priority now is not only to achieve a high return rate, but to maintain it and at the same time to help motivate people to continue to participate in the recycling of packaging and thus actively contribute to protecting nature," stressed general manager of the company running the system Marian Ac. An accessible network of collection machines and a fast return process also help to maintain the high return rate. As many as 80 percent of the respondents in the survey have at least one machine within 15 minutes of their home, while 62 percent don't have to travel for more than 5 minutes. The survey was carried out in late August and early September on a sample of more than 1,200 respondents. zel/df