Status: 11.01.2024, 19:17 PM
By: Robin Dittrich
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Since 2003, there has been a deposit obligation for mineral water, beer and carbonated drinks. Since 1 January 2024, this has also applied to dairy products.
Munich – In 2024, consumers might be surprised that some dairy drinks suddenly cost 25 cents more. Since 1 January, the deposit requirement has been in force for significantly more products than before – including milk and cocoa.
25 cents more for dairy products: More food affected by mandatory deposit
The Packaging Act has been in force in Germany since 1 January 2022. As a result, even more beverages than before were placed with a deposit in non-returnable bottles and cans. For all non-returnable packaging subject to a deposit, the deposit is a uniform 25 cents. Customers can recognise packaging subject to a deposit by the well-known symbol of Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH. On the other hand, a deposit of only eight or 15 cents is charged for reusable packaging.
Since January 1, 2024, a deposit has been levied on some milk products in plastic bottles - that's how high it is. © MiS/Imago (symbolic image)
Since 1 January 2024, the stricter deposit regulation has now been extended once again. These regulations mainly affect food from the refrigerated section. These include the well-known Müller milk drinks, coffee drinks offered in supermarkets and discounters, as well as some milk packaging. Beverages with at least 50 percent milk content in single-use plastic bottles are affected. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste generated: "This is intended to increase the collection, sorting and recycling of such packaging and to reduce its disposal in the environment," says the Federal Environment Agency.
How much deposit will have to be paid for which product from 1 January 2024?
Supermarkets and discounters resisted the new deposit rules for milk and cocoa until the very end. The simple reasons: technical and hygienic difficulties. "Residual liquids in the milk containers create hygiene risks that go well beyond the contamination caused by all other beverages and that are multiplied in combination," said Antje Gerstein, Managing Director for Sustainability at the German Retail Association.
Here is an overview of how much deposit is charged on each product:
| Bottle | Pledge |
|---|---|
| Reusable glass beer bottles | 8 cents |
| Reusable beer bottle with swing top | 15 cents |
| Reusable mineral water bottle (glass or PET) | 15 cents (25 cents in exceptional cases) |
| Reusable bottles for juice or soft drinks | 15 cents |
| Some 1.0 litre wine bottles | 2 or 3 cents |
| All Disposable Bottles & Cans | 25 cents |
| Milk drinks in plastic bottles | 25 cents |
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Wines, sparkling wines and spirits as well as beverages in tetrapaks are still not affected by the deposit obligation. However, this could change in the future. The changes to the deposit rules are to be continuously expanded until 2030. The returnable bottles can be returned in almost every supermarket and even at some petrol stations. Single-use packaging can only be returned if the supermarket or discounter sells packaging made of the same material. Reusable bottles must be accepted by every supermarket, regardless of their own assortment. (rd
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