The deposit of 25 cents per container is levied at point of sale on single-use PET bottles and beverage cans with a filling quantity of between 0.1 litres and 3 litres. The deposit is reimbursed when empty containers are returned to a collection point.
learn moreAll single-use PET bottles and aluminium cans used for beverages in Austria will be subject to a deposit from January 2025. What does this means in terms of practical application?
From 1 January 2025, all sealed PET bottles and metal cans with a filling quantity of 0.1 to 3 litres will be subject to a deposit. These are identified by the deposit logo.
The deposit system does not relate to animal milk products, coffee cups and coffee refreshment beverages in a can with a milk proportion in excess of 51 percent.
All drinks containers subject to the single-use deposit are visibly identified with the deposit logo.
A deposit of 25 cents is levied on each container at point of sale.
Single-use deposit containers are collected at all sales outlets at which they are sold. This excludes drinks vending machines and post & parcel deliverers. Joint collection points can also be set up in busy areas (e.g. shopping centres or shopping streets). Collection is processed either manually or via reverse vending machines.
In the case of manual collection, the operators only have to collect the drinks containers in the usual sales volume and filling volume.
Example: A bakery sells only beverages of brand X in 0.5 litres PET bottles. Therefore, 0.5 litre PET bottles are collected, but also those of brands Y and Z. Thus aluminium cans or PET bottles in other sizes are not collected.
The prerequisite for reimbursement of the deposit is that the container is empty, not crushed and that the label is fully present on the container and legible. This is the only way to identify whether the container is a bottle or can that is managed in the deposit cycle.
If the container is rejected, the deposit cannot be reimbursed. Please dispose of the container in the nearest yellow bin or yellow bag.
PET and aluminium are important recyclables: currently in Austria, however, only around 70% of all single-use PET bottles are collected after use and returned to the recycling cycle.
Starting in 2025, a collection rate of 80% should be achieved; by 2027, the collection target of 90% should have been reached.
The deposit system enables the high-quality recycling of containers so that the recycled material can be used for new PET bottles and aluminium cans.
PET and aluminium are valuable secondary raw materials. By collecting them through the deposit system, virtually uncontaminated recyclables are available for the recycling process.
The PET and aluminium can be retained as a resource in the recycling cycle and there is no "downcycling" (downcycling = the conversion of a product in a lower-quality end product).
In this way, old bottles and cans can become new containers.
The deposit avoids the thoughtless discarding of single-use drinks containers in the environment.
EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich gGmbH is a central body that takes care of all organisational and structural agendas of the single-use deposit system.
The owner of the central body is Trägerverein Einwegpfand, whose members include leading beverage producers, retail partners and related associations.
Apart from establishing the logistics that ensure the collection of all PET bottles and beverage cans throughout Austria, processing for all producers and collectors will be built up and the reverse vending machines prepared for participation in the deposit system by 2025.
