Retail

Germany’s deposit return expands to alcohol and milk based beverages

Image courtesy of Tomra Systems.

January 7, 2022

Beginning this month, Germany's deposit return system will expand to include alcoholic and milk-based mixed drinks and juices sold in plastic packaging and cans, according to Tomra Systems ASA, the Norway based provider of collection and sorting machines for the recovery and reduction of waste in the food, recycling and mining industries. Germany's system, launched in 2003, has included a special provision which exempts these beverages from the mandatory deposit, according to the press release.

The expansion is expected to result in the collection of approximately 85,000 tons of additional plastic and aluminum, with the total volume of packaging returned to reverse vending machines increasing to some 500,000 tons.

According to Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH, the system's operator, the overall return rate for disposable packaging in Germany is 98%.

The processed plastic can undergo the production process many times, replacing crude oil as a raw material.