Deposit system in Germany complicated and costly
515 views · Published 4 December 2008 · 5:29 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Alan Heath · 2008 · News & Politics
twitter : @ceepackaging http://www.ceepackaging.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/CEE-Packaging/135108923181666 Silvia Bloemker of Ball Packaging Europe speaks of the German deposit system and the effects it has had on the industry. In Germany container deposit legislation, known as Einwegpfand (single-use deposit), was passed in 2002, and was implemented on 1 January 2003. Its implementation was fought by lobby groups of German bottling industry and retailers. This fight also included trials at the Federal Administrative Court of Germany and the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, but all trials were won by the German federal government. The deposit legislation does not cover containers for fruit juice, wine, spirits, liquors, and certain dietary drinks. The standard deposit for all single-use containers (cans, single-use glass and plastic bottles) is € 0.25. This is the highest deposit in the world. The deposit for refillable bottles is not defined by law. The usual rates are € 0.02 for wine bottles, € 0.08 for beer bottles, and € 0.15 for beer bottles with swing top and other bottles. Most supermarkets in Germany have a Reverse vending machine designed to be used by customers which scans "Pfand" returns ands prints a receipt to the total value of the items given which can in turn be exchanged for cash or used against the value of ones next purchases.
