Austria in the environmental frenzy: the nation inspires new pledge system!

Austria in the environmental frenzy: the nation inspires new pledge system!

Wien, Österreich - Austria is experiencing great change in dealing with disposable packaging! Since the 1. January 2025 A new disposable deposit system applies, which aim to promote a more conscious handling of resources and reduce garbage. A deposit of 25 cents is collected for all closed drinks made of plastic or metal with a filling quantity of 0.1 to 3 liters. However, tetrapacks, glass and metal bottles with plastic closures and some special beverage packaging are excluded. This regulation is intended to ensure that a return rate of at least 80 percent is reached by the end of the year, as the government has announced.

Austria's consumers react to the pledge system

A current survey by the market research institute Marketagent on behalf of Sodastream, which was carried out shortly before the system was introduced, shows that, for example, 67 percent of the approximately 500 respondents positively evaluated the new system. Nevertheless, a significant part, such as 31 percent , has announced that it will buy fewer drinks in disposable packaging in the future. This change in behavior could be an indication that many Austrians are dissatisfied with having to carry empty bottles back to the supermarket. According to the survey, 57 percent of the respondents see the advantage of a water bubbler in the fact that they do not have to return bottles. The use of water bubblers is already widespread: 48.4 percent of households use such a device, and 43 percent plan to also switch to a water bubble to avoid disposable plastic.

Although there were initial criticism of gastronomy institutions because of the lack of space and by retailers because of the high costs for automatic returns, resistance seems to be slow. Many Austrians have adapted to the new regulation, but the complete acceptance could take some time, as Kosmo