Opinion of the hungarian population on the reform of beverage packaging deposit-refund system

Abstract

The research subject is the deposit-refund system of beverage packaging (PET, glass and aluminium) in Hungary, which is under development. For the success of the planned system, it is important to consider the population’s opinion. Therefore, data from a primary questionnaire survey were used for the analyses. This questionnaire was conducted in 2020 and resulted in an evaluable sample of 20, 430 people. The study aims to answer the following research questions (Q). Q1. Does the reform of the beverage packaging deposit-refund system in Hungary have a raison d’être? Q2. What are the demographic characteristics (gender, type of residence, qualification) of those who would redeem beverage packaging in their households if the state paid for it? Q3. Do the demographic characteristics and/or the environmental attitudes of individuals significantly influence their perceptions of the planned new system, and how strong is the relationship between them? As for the method for answering the research questions, descriptive statistics and relationship analyses (Cramer’s V and Kendall’s tau) were applied to the closed answers. The results show that the analysis of the primary research provides well-determined directions for legislators and decision makers who develop the detailed operating rules of the new system.