A PROPOSAL to reintroduce refunds for glass beverage bottles in Bahrain has been tabled – three decades after the practice was abruptly halted.
Under the plan, beverage companies would be required to provide their products in glass containers alongside other packaging options such as plastic, metal and cartons.
Consumers would then be entitled to refunds for returning empty glass bottles, in a bid to encourage recycling and reduce pressure on Bahrain’s landfill site in Hafeera.
For many Bahrainis who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, the clink of glass soda bottles being stacked in grocery shops is a familiar memory.
Returning empties to claim a small refund was part of everyday life – a routine that made environmental sense long before “sustainability” became a buzzword.
That practice came to a sudden halt in the mid-1990s. No official explanation was ever given. Plastic bottles, cartons and metal cans quickly became the standard, and the glass bottle refund system – once a symbol of recycling efficiency – quietly faded into history.
Now, almost three decades later, MPs are calling for its comeback.
The proposal is spearheaded by Strategic Thinking Bloc president and Parliament financial and economic affairs committee chairman MP Ahmed Al Salloom.
Mr Al Salloom
“This is a successful exchange programme widely implemented in Europe, the US and Southeast Asia,” he told the GDN.
“The system was hugely popular in Bahrain 30 years ago. Families used to return soda bottles to groceries and corner shops and get their refunds on the spot – a habit that encouraged recycling and community responsibility.
“For reasons never explained, it was stopped, and we have since relied almost entirely on plastic and other disposable packaging.
“It is one of the practical solutions our country needs today to combat the tonnes of waste being dumped daily at the Hafeera landfill site.
“Reintroducing glass bottle refunds will mean less waste, more recycling and a step towards aligning Bahrain with sustainable practices adopted worldwide.
“Our goal is to see this programme in place as a binding rule by early 2027.”
The proposal is expected to be reviewed by the relevant parliamentary committee, with consultations planned between legislators, the ministries of Industry and Commerce, Oil and Environment, Health and Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, alongside beverage companies, and the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE).
It was officially received by Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam yesterday.
Mr Al Salloom, who is also Bahrain Chamber’s board member, Better Life Society chairman and the Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Society chairman, emphasised that the idea was not about nostalgia but about adopting a proven system that works.
“People often think modernisation means discarding old practices,” he said.
“Sometimes the smartest move is to revive what was already successful and adapt it to today’s market. A simple glass bottle refund system is not only feasible but necessary for Bahrain’s sustainable future.”
The proposal has already received backing from Capital Trustees Board vice-chairwoman Khulood Al Qattan who described it as “long overdue”.
Ms Al Qattan
“Recycling glass reduces the environmental footprint, helps create a culture of responsibility, and could even save companies money in the long run,” she added.
“More importantly, it will bring the community together again in a simple but effective way to fight pollution.
“Hafeera landfill is overflowing, and unless we take practical, innovative measures such as this, future generations will be the ones to suffer. It’s time we returned to what worked for us before, especially when we can clearly see its success elsewhere.”
Ms Al Qattan, who is also Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Society vice-chairwoman and Better Life Society vice-chairwoman, said glass, unlike plastic, can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality.
“That makes it a particularly attractive option for Bahrain, which is battling mounting pressure on the Hafeera landfill, where thousands of tonnes of waste are dumped every week.”
For Bahrainis who lived through the old system, are nostalgic.
Families would collect soda bottles after gatherings, neatly stack them in crates, and return them to the local cold store for a small sum back.
“The old service was very efficient,” recalls 52-year-old Karranah resident Ali Hassan.
“You didn’t see bottles lying around in the streets because they had value. Children even collected them as pocket money. It was simple, effective and community-driven.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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