On 8 March, the Dutch royal couple, accompanied by the Slovakian president, visited BILLA's headquarters in Bratislava. one wanted to find out more about the royal visit and spoke to the host, BILLA CEO Arnd Riehl.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Máxima visited the BILLA headquarters as part of their first official trip to Slovakia. The reason for the visit: the royal couple wanted to familiarise themselves with how the deposit system works at BILLA. Accompanied by the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová, they familiarised themselves with the deposit return system for the purchase of PET bottles and cans. The unique system can be adapted to the requirements of different countries thanks to innovative software.
BILLA celebrates its 30th anniversary
In 2023, the independent Slovakian democracy celebrates its 30th anniversary and at the same time BILLA celebrates 30 successful years in Slovakia. BILLA is a pioneer in the introduction of environmental standards and the use of new technologies. These include the deposit return system for PET bottles and cans, which has been in operation in Slovakia since January 2022.
Marián Áč, CEO of the Slovakian deposit authority, and Martin Basila, co-founder of Sensoneo, the inventor of the software solution, explained the operation of the deposit return system to the royal guests at the reverse vending machine. The royal couple tried out the system for themselves, threw a few bottles into the machine and received a receipt for the deposit return. The CEO of Heineken in Slovakia, Rene Kruijt, explained the advantages of the deposit system for beverage producers to the guests.
The delegation was accompanied by a number of local and foreign media, for whom BILLA had prepared background information and refreshments. They took the opportunity to sample the products of the BILLA premium retail brand.
one wanted to find out more about the background to the royal visit and spoke to the host, BILLA CEO Arnd Riehl
BILLA CEO Arnd Riehl welcomes the Slovakian President (Photo: BILLA Sowakei)
one: Why did the Dutch royal couple decide to visit BILLA in Slovakia?
Arnd Riehl: At a political level, there are long-standing, close relations between Slovakia and the Netherlands. The Dutch royal couple's three-day visit to Slovakia focussed on several topics. One of these topics was Sustainability and in particular recycling. The background: the introduction of a deposit system is currently being considered in the Netherlands. Slovakia implemented a deposit system last year. At BILLA, we have found a very innovative solution that differs significantly from those of the competition: The reverse vending machines are not located in the store, but outside the store in an air-conditioned container. This means that there are no odours from leftover drinks in the shops. Unlike in Germany, the process in Slovakia is handled by an administrator who collects the empties from the individual locations and reimburses the retailer on a per-unit basis. We believe that our advance deposit system solutions will be an inspiration for other countries and will also find their way to the Netherlands.
one: What was the reaction of the royal couple?
Arnd Riehl: The royal couple were very friendly and sociable. The King and Queen both thanked us very kindly for giving them the opportunity to take a look at the deposit system at BILLA.
one: With a royal visit, there must be a lot of formalities to take care of beforehand?
Arnd Riehl: The preparation for this visit was indeed time-consuming, as there is a very extensive protocol in which the procedure is precisely regulated. Who stands where? Who says what? All these questions were finalised in advance. The visit was also associated with high security requirements. This included snipers on the roof and sniffer dogs checking the cars. As 8 March is also International Women's Day, we thought it would be a nice gesture to present the Queen and President with a bouquet of flowers. We even decided on the size and colour of the bouquet in advance.
one: What does the royal couple's visit mean to you personally?
Arnd Riehl: You don't have a royal couple visit every day. In this respect, it was a new and very interesting experience for me and my team. The visit of the royal couple and the president was a great honour for us and we will remember this day for a long time to come.
