Introduction 2025

New one-way deposit is already in the starting blocks

In addition to aluminum, plastic (PET) in particular will be recycled.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Animaflora )

From 2025, the new one-way deposit for aluminum cans and plastic bottles will apply in Austria. 25 cents will then be charged per packaging. The majority will be returned to the cycle via vending machines, the rest manually. Exceptions apply.

Preparations are in full swing and many grocery stores are already equipped with deposit machines. "Our goal is a smooth process for consumers," say the heads of Recycling Pfand Österreich, Monika Fiala and Simon Parth. The new deposit system is intended to prevent littering and strengthen the circular economy.

Return via machine and manually
Specifically, from 2025, all PET bottles and metal cans with a capacity of 0.1 to 3 liters will be subject to a deposit, which consumers will be able to recognize by a uniform deposit logo. 25 cents will be charged on sale. It is important to return the packaging empty, uncrushed and with a label. Cans and bottles must be taken back by anyone who sells them. It is estimated that 90 percent of returned containers are returned to the cycle via vending machines. Otherwise, "manual returns" are also possible.

This is what the new logo will look like from 2025.

(Bild: Recycling Pfand Österreich)

However, a retailer who only sells 0.5-liter PET bottles will only have to take these back. There are exceptions for sales via vending machines, which pay a compensation fee that is waived if there is a return machine nearby. Restaurants that deliver food also do not have to take anything back. However, a compensation payment is then due.

Bags should be returned in "normal quantities" and collected regularly - sometimes even daily. This is to prevent plastic bags from piling up in small snack stands.

Exceptions for syrup, milk and medicines
Incidentally, syrup is completely exempt as it is not yet ready to drink. Milk and medicines (e.g. cough syrup) are also excluded. Tetrapacks are generally not affected by the new system.

Producers urgently need the plastic collected in future. From next year, plastic bottles must consist of at least 25% recycled material. By 2029, the EU member states will have to meet a collection rate of 90 percent, and Austria is set to achieve this by 2027. The aim is to recycle 2.2 billion cans and bottles by 2025.

First months of 2025 still conversion
At the beginning of 2025, old bottles and cans will still be on the shelves despite the changeover, and the deposit bottles will only be delivered from January 1, with the transition taking a maximum of three months.