Places which sell drinks as part of their services, such as cinemas, kiosks and amusement parks, are against a legal obligation to take in empty bottles and cans if recycling targets are not met, broadcaster NOS said on Friday.

Targets for recycling plastic bottles and cans were not reached last year for the second year in a row, according to Verpact, the industry body charged with dealing with recyclable waste.

A year after deposits were introduced on cans, just 65% were being handed into collection points, as were 68% of bottles, Verpact said. The official target is 90%.

The low return rates mean some €374 million in deposits was not collected by consumers. The Netherlands introduced deposits of 15 cents on small bottles in July 2021. Cans followed last April.

For the targets to be met, some 8,000 extra collection points would be needed, Verpact said but so far only 800 have been added, causing a substantial litter problem.

A legal requirement for drinks sellers to take in empties would help, local councils, rubbish collection services and environmental organisations have said.

Government documents requested by NOS show that such a requirement, already in place in Germany, was considered but rejected for reasons that remained unclear.

The environmental inspectorate Leefomgeving en Transport has said that if drinks manufacturers do not do more to promote collection they will be fined up to €300 million.

The government will evaluate the legal framework for the deposit scheme later this year.