Starting January 1, 2025, Croatia will raise its bottle deposit refund from 7 to 10 cents, but environmental groups argue this still places the country at the bottom of the EU. Zelena Akcija (Green Action) criticized the low amount as insufficient to meet the EU target of 90% separate collection of beverage packaging by 2030, with Croatia currently below 80%.

The group also highlighted the adverse impact on vulnerable communities who rely on bottle collection. Despite calls for a minimum 15-cent deposit, the government rejected proposals, claiming higher deposits would increase retail prices.

Environmental advocates urge faster expansion of the deposit system to include all beverage containers and multilayer packaging by 2027, warning that the current timeline is too slow to address growing plastic pollution.