Austria at the disposable deposit: 26 million bottles back in three months!

Austria at the disposable deposit: 26 million bottles back in three months!

Österreich - Austria has changed in dealing with disposable packaging since January 1, 2023. With the introduction of a disposable deposit system for plastic bottles and aluminum doses, the country pursues the goal of significantly increasing the recycling quota. According to OE24 , Managing Director Simon Parth from the non-profit gGmbH Recycling Pfand Austria took a positive balance in the first three months. In these 13 weeks, 26 million deposit containers could already be returned.

To support the deposit system, consumers have around 6,000 automatic return machines and 8,000 manual trailers, including sausage stalls, bakeries and canteens. The operators of Recycling Pfand Austria spend the time to recycle around 2.2 billion bottles and cans annually. Despite the progress, Austria only occupies 18th place in Europe with regard to the disposable deposit, while it has already gained experience in the reusable deposit area.

preparations and challenges

The changeover to the disposable deposit was faster than expected. According to Finland, Austria has the densest branch network in retail, which is considerable support for the return process. Nevertheless, disposable containers without a deposit are still available in stores; The production of these products was possible until March 31, 2023. The first specific return rates are expected at the end of the year, but the first estimates could already be made available beforehand.

One of the main goals of this deposit system is to promote the circular economy and contain environmental pollution. In order to achieve these goals, Recycling Pfand is planning to increase the response rate from the current 70 percent to at least 90 percent by 2027. The so -called deposit slip, the difference between the returned and sold deposit containers, is used for the further development of the system. In addition, producers have had to use a quarter recycled material in their PET plastic bottles since 2023, which is a measure required by the EU.

important milestones for the future

Preparations for the introduction of the pledge system for disposable drink packaging begin before the official attempt in 2025. According to recycling-pfand.at Return Melogistics and the implementation of an informative website. From February, Recycling Pfand Austria will offer free webinars to provide producers: Interior, importer: Interior and seller: Interior to inform about the necessary preparations.

Responsibility for the entire Pfand chain lies with Recycling Pfand Austria, which ensures that the circulation is closed by disposable packaging, in which the producers will have access to the collected PET bottles in the future. In this context, it is important that consumers are informed about the new regulations and offers to avoid confusion between the deposit and non-deposit products.

Finally, it can be stated that switching to an efficient pledge system is crucial for the environment and the economy in Austria. This not only reduces waste, but also a valuable material for recycling is provided, which is of great importance in the sense of sustainable development.

For more detailed information on the progress and goals of the pledge system, the