The European Deposit Return Systems Association (EDRSA) has recently reviewed its first year of activities and outlined its key priorities for the period ahead. EDRSA is an international association bringing together Deposit Return System (DRS) administrators from 20 countries across Europe and beyond. The association was founded in January 2025 and is based in Bratislava, Slovakia.

During its first year, EDRSA focused on strengthening its internal organisational structure, establishing specialised working groups, and developing internal management, communication, and cooperation processes. These working groups bring together leading experts from member countries across seven areas: Communications, EU Legislation, Finance, Fraud, Operations and Logistics, Retail and Technology, and IT and Change Management. They met regularly throughout the year to exchange knowledge and share best practices.

What are EDRSA’s main current priorities?

The President of the Association, Marián Áč, commented: “Our main goal is to establish EDRSA as a relevant partner for the European Union in the legislative process. As our members operate deposit return systems in practice, we aim to bring this hands-on experience into policymaking. In May 2026, we are also organising an international conference focused on circularity and competitiveness—two highly relevant topics for the EU. In the second half of the year, we plan to further strengthen cooperation and knowledge exchange among our members.”

EDRSA is dedicated to promoting best practices in the circular economy and environmental protection. It supports deposit return systems through innovation and process improvements, while facilitating knowledge-sharing among its members to enhance the effectiveness of DRS. The association also acts as an important partner to legislative institutions, advocating for the inclusion of DRS and circular economy principles in European legislation.

Currently, the association has 17 ordinary members and 3 associated members. Ordinary members include operators from Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden. Associated members come from the Faroe Islands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

The Board of the Association consists of five members and is led by its President, Marián Áč (Slovakia). Board members include Ciaran Foley (Ireland), Susanne Kürschner (Germany), Kjell Olav Maldum (Norway), and Miks Sturitis (Latvia). Monika Fiala (Austria) serves as Treasurer, and Milan Ježovica (Slovakia) is the Secretary General.