After more than 40 years

Deposit for glass bottles increased from 9 to 20 cents

Every bottle that is not returned is a loss-making business. A glass bottle, for example, costs a soft drink company between twelve and 20 cents.

(Bild: industrieblick - stock.adobe.com)

After more than 40 years, the deposit for returnable glass bottles has been raised from nine cents (formerly 1.2 shillings) to 20 cents. 

According to the Brewers' Association, this increase affects all glass bottles that are currently charged at nine cents in supermarket return machines. This includes the typical 0.5-liter beer bottles, white glass bottles with screw caps and numerous 0.33-liter glass bottles.

As "90 percent" of the bottles in question are beer bottles, the brewers' association says it initiated, negotiated and implemented the deposit increase.

Since the beginning of January, Austria has also had a one-way deposit system for plastic bottles and aluminum cans (25 cents). The deposit system applies to all disposable beverage bottles and aluminum cans from 0.1 to three liters; the consumer pays 25 cents as a deposit.

• If you return the empty, uncrushed bottles and cans with a legible label, you will also get your money back. No deposit is charged on Tetrapak, milk and medical products or syrup, for example.
• Until the end of March, drinks manufacturers are allowed to deliver their products to retailers without a one-way deposit label. Supermarkets and other retailers may continue to sell the goods until the end of the year. This year, plastic bottles and cans with and without a deposit will temporarily coexist.

"The low deposit apparently led to more and more people disposing of the bottles and thus preventing them from being recycled," explained Karl Schwarz, Chairman of the Association of Breweries, recently. The association expects that the deposit increase will result in more bottles being returned.

Damage in the millions
Reusable glass bottles that end up in the glass container instead of being returned to the supermarket are lost to breweries and other drinks producers and, according to the association, cause millions of euros worth of damage to the industry.

There were apparently not many hoarding purchases due to the deposit increase. "The impact of the increase in the returnable deposit on the demand for corresponding containers is manageable in our stores," explained Billa parent company Rewe.