Deposit at Aldi, Lidl & Co.: Markets introduce a return limit
Created: 06/20/2022, 11:22 am
By: Fee Halberstadt
Some branches insist on their domiciliary rights and limit the delivery of empties to 20 items.
(Iconic image) © Lukas Schulze/dpa
The deposit system in Germany is sometimes confusing.
Changes at Aldi, Lidl & Co. should not only ensure clarity, but also more climate protection.
Kassel – In Germany there is a deposit on the majority of the bottles, which is paid out again when they are returned.
Sometimes the regulation of which bottle or can can be exchanged and which not was confusing.
For example, a reusable water bottle made of glass or plastic had 15 cents, a reusable glass beer bottle only had eight cents and a glass bottle for alcohol, such as wine and spirits, had no deposit.
In principle, all bottles with a capacity of three liters or more were also exempt from the deposit.
Bottle | deposit |
|---|---|
Returnable glass beer bottle (all sizes) | 8 cents |
Reusable beer bottle with swing top | 15 cents |
Returnable mineral water bottle (glass or PET) | 15 cents (exceptions: 25 cents) |
All disposable bottles and cans | 25 cents |
Returnable bottles for juice or soft drinks | 15 cents |
Source: mehrweg.org |
The deposit regulations changed for the first time in July 2021, as reported by hna.de.
Since then, this has also been available on several beverage packages, and this change also affects non-carbonated fruit juices and alcoholic mixed drinks, writes the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian consumer advice center.
In the course of the next few years, further regulations are to follow and several packages can be returned as a deposit.
New rules for deposits at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Co.: more sustainability and climate protection
Since January 1, 2022, all one-way beverage bottles have been subject to a deposit, as have all beverage cans.
Disposable beverage packaging that is already on the market may be sold until July 1, 2022, but no longer after that.
The Federal Government will inform you about this.
Plastic bottles with milk drinks are in a transitional period until 2024, after which all of them will be subject to a deposit.
The reason for these changes is that Germany wants to avoid increasing waste and conserve raw materials.
That is why, in addition to the payment regulation, from 2023 there will also be an obligation for all restaurants, bistros and cafés to offer reusable beverage cups and crockery so that plastic waste is avoided.
From 2025, all single-use PET beverage bottles must also contain at least 25 percent recycled plastic.
In 2030, this rate must be at least 30 percent, according to the federal government.
Return limit for deposit bottles: Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Co make use of domiciliary rights
In addition to the official requirements, some grocery stores such as Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Co. refer to their domiciliary rights, reports infranken.de.
In some cases, sacks of returnable bottles and cans are returned, which leads to long waiting times, different customers and the occasional machine strike.
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If the container in the back room is full, the staff must first replace it before continuing.
For this reason, individual stores limit the return of deposit packaging to 20 items per purchase.
It is therefore best to find out beforehand whether the desired market has such a limit.
In addition, since 2022 there have been further regulations in stores such as Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Co., for example with regard to plastic shopping bags.
(Fee Halberstadt)
