Since autumn 2023, the Czech online grocery retailer Rohlík.cz has offered customers the opportunity to conveniently return used PET bottles during delivery. This sustainable initiative makes Rohlík.cz the first, and so far the only, online retailer in the Czech Republic to introduce such a return system.
In just the first few months of the project, over 6,000 plastic bottles were recycled, primarily in Prague and Brno. Due to the positive response, Rohlík.cz has lifted the initial limit on the number of bottles a customer could return to the courier. Originally capped at six, customers have been able to return an unlimited number of bottles since June 2024. To further simplify the process, Rohlík.cz now distributes special recycling bags to its customers.
Martin Beháň, CEO of Rohlík.cz, explained: “We wanted to make recycling easier for our customers and show that environmental protection can be seamlessly integrated into daily life. Even before legislation on PET bottle take-back comes into effect, we view this initiative as an essential step.”
A survey by the market research institute IPSOS confirms the growing acceptance of the program: 80% of respondents stated they would be more likely to recycle PET bottles if they could do so directly from home.
Rohlík.cz is also pursuing other environmental goals, including operating a steadily growing fleet of electric vehicles to reduce its carbon footprint, promoting sustainable packaging solutions, and supporting local agriculture. These efforts aim to further reduce the company’s ecological footprint and contribute to a more sustainable retail sector.
The PET bottle return system represents an important step towards greater sustainability in online retail, demonstrating that environmental protection and modern shopping can go hand in hand.
