Deposit-refund system (DRS) is also known as container-deposit, bottle bill, glass bottle return, or deposit-return system.
The operation of these used glass bottle return systems is extremely simple and old. Several countries adopt this type of system. It can be both voluntary or mandated by legislation.
By the financial incentive to return specific products this system is a circular economy practice that avoids the waste of glass containers in good condition.
In the case of reusable packaging, the returned glass bottles are refilled by the supplier. When this is not the case, they are sent for recycling. When possible, the first alternative is always better, since refilling a package in good condition saves production energy and materials. Thus the reuse of packaging is a more sustainable alternative than its recycling.
In this article, you will learn more about different Europeans packaging return systems.
The Swedish glass bottle return system
Sweden is a pioneer of the packaging deposit and returns system. Today almost all ready-made beverage packages are included in the system. This includes the packaging of wine, beer, vodka, water, juices, etc.
The first glass bottle recycling system was introduced in 1884. Svensk GlasÅtervinning AB is the company responsible for the deposit system of glass bottles.
With a few exceptions, in Sweden, it is illegal to sell consumption-ready beverages in containers that are not part of an authorized Swedish container deposit system.
The Pfand System in Germany
In Germany, this system is called the “Pfand system”. Through it, the consumer pays a deposit (Pfand) each time he buys a certain product and only if he returns the used packaging he receives the deposit back.
Check our article about recycling in Germany.
The German container deposit legislation, know as Einwegpfand (single-use deposit) was implemented on January 1, 2003. However, the law faced resistance from many dealers, including retailers and manufacturers.
In addition to regulating the return of glass packaging, the legislation also addresses plastic and aluminum packaging.
Currently, Germany’s collection system is operated 20% manually and 80% automatically through reverse vending machines spread across the country’s supermarkets.
“Palpa” system in Finland
Finland’s first glass bottle deposit system was introduced in 1952 with the Olympic Games. The system is the responsibility of Suomen Palautuspakkaus Oy (Papa), a private consortium of beverage importers and manufacturers.
Only this year 1 725 050 925 beverage packages have been returned through the deposit system.
Hello-Bottle: return and recycle practices
Hello-Bottle: return and recycle practices
Hello-Bottle’s business model focuses on sustainability by offering products that can be reused and fully recycled. One example of this, are the reusable and recyclable Pearl jars.
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