Reuters reports that German Environment Minister Juergen Trittin was quoted on Friday as saying the country aimed to widen a deposit system to encourage recycling of drinks cans from January 1, 2003. "I have proposed to the chancellery that we introduce the obligatory deposits on January 1, 2003. We want to decide this in cabinet this month," Trittin told Sueddeutsche Zeitung, according to an advance copy of an interview due to appear in the newspaper's Saturday edition. It was the first time the environment ministry had indicated a firm timetable for widening the deposit system, which already applies to glass bottles. The move had been expected following a court ruling last month, which paved the way for the system to be changed. Shares in makers of can recycling machines, such as Norway's Tomra Systems, have been rising in anticipation of the announcement. Trittin said the government wanted to give retailers and industry time to prepare for the changeover. "It is not only a question of if necessary installing machines for taking back empties but also changing packaging to mark the cans as bearing deposits," He said. Trittin confirmed it was his aim for the deposit system to also apply to carbonated soft drinks, as well as beer. Asked by the newspaper what he meant, he said: "Cola, Fanta, Sprite, etc. Consumers would not understand it if we put deposits on beer cans but not cans of cola."