What can we help you with?

About the deposit

Which products will have a deposit on them? Which products are exempt from the deposit system? Is a deposit levied on syrups? Is a deposit levied on drinks in a foil pouch? Wird für destilliertes Wasser Pfand eingehoben? How do I recognise single-use deposit products? How much is the deposit? How can I check whether a product is registered? Why is the deposit on single-use containers only being introduced in 2025? Why is the deposit system being introduced in Austria? Are there any EU laws that require a deposit system? Why is a deposit charged only on single-use plastic bottles or drinks cans? Why does the deposit not affect other food or drug containers made of plastic as well? Why was the deposit set at an amount of 25 cents? What are the differences between the multi-use and single-use deposit systems? How do deposit systems in other countries differ from the system planned for Austria? What is EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich gGmbH and what does it do? What is Trägerverein Einwegpfand?

Packagings

Where can I return single-use deposit containers? What needs to be the condition of the bottle or can for the deposit reimbursed? Are only sealed bottles with an attached seal accepted or also opened bottles without a seal? During the transitional period, how can I differentiate deposit products from bottles and cans that do not participate in the deposit? What should happen with containers that are not collected? Can I also throw plastic bottles or aluminium cans displaying the deposit logo into the yellow bin or yellow bag? Which products are collected at collection points? How many containers can I return? Can I return any deposit bottle or can to any collection point? How many bottles and cans am I allowed to return at manual collection points? How many bottles and cans can I return at reverse vending machines? Can I also return a product at a sales point that does not stock the product? Can I also return products in Austria that I purchased abroad and do not display the deposit logo? Can I return my products in other countries that also have a deposit system on single-use drinks containers? Where do I have to return a bottle or can that I purchased from a drinks vending machine? I received a free product (product sample); can I return the container? I know of a sales outlet that sells imported goods without the deposit logo. Who should I report that to? I have purchased a product that does not have a deposit logo printed on it, but I paid a deposit on it – what should I do? I was turned away when I tried to return a single-use drinks container at a sales outlet – what can I do?

Recycling

Why is the collection of PET and aluminium so important? What collection rates is the deposit system designed to achieve? Are the collected PET bottles and aluminium cans used to make new containers? Is there any chance of the collected drinks containers ending up in an incinerator? How do you ensure that the collected drinks containers are actually recycled into new bottles? How are drinks containers recycled in detail?

For Companies

How does the new deposit cycle work? What do I have to consider as a producer/importer before the deposit system is introduced? I’m a producer/importer and don’t have an office in Austria. How can I register myself or my products? Are there transitional periods for producers? How does the deposit system work for sponsored goods? As a producer, do I also have to pay the 25-cent deposit to Recycling Pfand Österreich for giveaways? We provide our employees with free drinks in our company. Does the deposit have to be paid to Recycling Pfand Österreich for these drinks? How will billing take place for companies during the transitional period? Who needs to register? Why do I need to register? By when do I need to register my company and my products? Can single-use deposit bottles that have not been registered also be sold in Austria? How do I register? Is the sale of unregistered products an offence? How is the producer fee calculated? What does the registration fee cover and when is it due? Does a release fee also have to be paid for single-use drinks containers from 1 January 2025 in addition to the producer fee? The release fee no longer has to be paid for which parts of the single-use drinks containers? Is it essential to create new GTIN codes (formerly EAN codes) for each container unit and by when do these need to be notified at the latest? How do the products need to be labelled? From what date do the products need to display the deposit logo? How is the deposit charged on imported goods and how are they labelled? How is the deposit charged on smaller batches of cans or bottles and how are they labelled? I will still have products in stock in January 2025 that don’t display the deposit logo. Am I allowed to continue selling them? Does the label adhesive have to meet certain requirements? Wer ist bei Handelsmarken für die Registrierung des Produktes und die Anbringung des Pfandlogos verantwortlich? Wer hat bei Handelsmarken Zugriffsrecht auf das Material, der Produzent oder der Markeneingetümer? Ich bin ein:e Getränke-Händler:in und liefere an Unternehmen und Veranstaltungen (oft auf Kommission), wer ist für Rückgabe, Pfanderstattung und Abholung zuständig?

For collectors general

Do I have to register as a collector? When do I have to register? Where do I need to register to have the deposit reimbursed? How do I have the deposit that I’ve paid out to consumers reimbursed? How should the price be displayed on deposit containers? Do wholesalers also need to collect bottles and cans? Do the collectors need to pay for the logistics?

Collection using reverse vending machines

How does collection using a reverse vending machine work in detail? What is the minimum volume of containers that makes it worthwhile investing in a reverse vending machine? Where can I buy a reverse vending machine? Which reverse vending machine models are approved? Are there subsidies for vending machines? What information must deposit vouchers contain? How does the IT connection need to be designed in reverse vending machines?

Manual collection

Which products do I have to collect? How is manual collection done? I have an on-the-go outlet (e.g. small tobacconist, sales stand on a shopping street, etc.). Where do consumers return the bottles and cans? My business is located in a shopping centre or street / at a railway station/ at the airport Where do consumers return the bottles and cans? I am a beverage vending machine operator: where do consumers return the bottles and cans? I am the organiser of a festival / sports event / etc. Where do visitors return the bottles/cans they have bought? How does the full bag get to the counting point? Where do I get the bags with the seals? How often are the sealed bags collected? How full does the bag need to be before it is collected? Do I need to count the bottles and cans in the bag before I seal it? Where do I get the seals with the associated GTIN codes? I have a half full bag, but my business will be closed for the next 2 months (e.g. low season). What can I do with the bag? I counted 122 empty containers in my returned, sealed bag, but Recycling Pfand Österreich only reimbursed the deposit for 119 of them. How come? The bags are designed to hold approx. 150 containers. Are they allowed to contain more or fewer containers?

Special types of sales

I’m an online retailer and have PET bottles and cans in my product range. Do I have to collect containers from my customers? How should collection be implemented if a local provider is unstaffed or a hybrid solution is used (only partially staffed)? Do delivery services have to demand a deposit for drinks when delivering food?