In Germany there is not “one” deposit system, but rather several systems with different deposit values. This repeatedly leads to confusion and annoyance among consumers when it comes to returning the deposit.
The most important thing about deposits and deposit bottles in brief:
- There are different deposit systems
- The material does not necessarily have to determine the deposit value
- This article provides an overview of the most common values
Basically, there are two major different divisions: reusable and disposable deposits. The difference lies in the subsequent process. With reusable deposits, the containers are cleaned and reused; with disposable deposits, the containers are then recycled.
What usually matters to consumers is: What do I get for what? Basically, it is a misconception that the material of a bottle is decisive for the deposit value. Although this is an indication, it is not generally valid, as glass bottles of different types and colors can have all kinds of deposit values, depending on which system they belong to.
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This also explains the different return forms and different machines for deposit bottles. In fact, there are reasons why certain machines accept bottles while others don't.
Reusable container deposit: €1.50
As a rule, a box (beer, water, soda) has a deposit value of €1.50, which is added to the number of bottles returned. This results in the deposit value for the entire container.
Some retailers also like to refuse to take boxes that are not complete, or reject boxes with different beer bottles (green/brown/light). However, this is nonsense and amounts to a false belief.
Beer bottles 0.33/0.5 reusable: 8 cent deposit.
It doesn't matter what color the bottles are. In the container they usually have a deposit value of €3.10 (20 pieces) or €3.42 (24 pieces).
This area also includes the so-called Steini bottles (Stubbie), which can have different deposit values in the container, as they are sold not only in 20-count containers, but also in 25-count, 27-count or 30-count containers.
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Swing-top beer bottles 0.33/0.5 reusable: 15 cents.
In most cases these are swing-top bottles, i.e. the famous pop bottles. In isolated (rare) cases, there may also be different deposit values. Usually found in containers in packs of 20 with a deposit value of €4.50.
In these cases with different deposit values, it is advisable to return the bottles to the place where they were purchased, as retailers may refuse to accept these bottles at this point.
Reusable bottles NO beer: 15 cent deposit
This is where things get exciting, as many bottles fall into this deposit value range. The most famous representatives are the standard fountain bottles, which are available both in glass (classic) and in plastic.
Deposit glass bottles in the reusable system that do not contain beer usually have this deposit value. It doesn't matter whether there was soda or mineral water in the bottle beforehand.
There is a clearly noticeable difference between plastic bottles with a 15 cent deposit and disposable bottles with a 25 cent deposit: the 15 cent bottles are much firmer and therefore cannot be pressed in as easily and do not crack/crack.
As a rule, a container consists of 12 bottles with a deposit value of €3.30. Different sizes (6s, 10s or larger) naturally result in different values.
One-way deposit 25 cents
This group of deposit bottles is irritating because their deposit value is completely independent of the glass or contents of the bottle. The deposit value here is always 25 cents.
This can now be a can, a glass bottle or, as in many cases, a PET bottle. You can recognize the disposable bottles by their logo ( see here ). This is the deposit system of DPG Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH.
Disposable deposit bottles are not sold in bulk.
Smaller systems
There are also individual systems, which, however, are not found on a large scale and where dealers may refuse to take them back. Although fruit juices, dairy products, wine and spirits are not subject to a deposit, you may come across wine bottles, for example, on which a deposit is charged. You should then bring these back to where you paid the deposit.
Exotic beer bottles should also be enjoyed with caution, especially when it comes to bottles with a capacity of over 3 liters. These generally do not require a deposit, so it is best to bring them to where you bought them.
There are various small solutions, not all of which can be listed here. In this respect, this article does not claim to be complete. It is important that you know the common ones and can distinguish between them.
Info: This article provides an expanded information section for our article “ Bottle collecting: Does a job center count this as income for a homeless person?” “.
Article image pawn by Hieronymus Ukkel / Shutterstock.com
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