Successfully started – Disposable deposit: millions of containers have already been returned

The most important responsibility for the implementation is the non -profit GGMBH Recycling Pfand Austria. Their director Simon Parth took a positive balance after three months. “Without a great excitement, in whatever direction” it started. Managing Director Monika Fiala added 26 million containers with a deposit symbol in 13 weeks.

About 6,000 return machines and approximately 8,000 manual trailers such as sausage stands, bakeries or canteens are currently available. The goal is to recycle around 2.2 billion bottles and cans in the near future. In general, Austria is not considered a disposable path ahead, there is number 18 in Europe, Parth said, but is still a “Pfandland”.

The return follows at the end of the year
He referred to the many years of experience with reusable deposits, which can yield a certain “starting benefit” compared to other countries. The previously specialized machines have only been converted in many stores. And another advantage for Austria: according to Finland it is the closest branch network in the retail trade and therefore has many return machines.

There is no precise response percentage yet, but a first estimate will soon be possible, said Parth. A reliable number is only available at the end of the year. Einweg containers without a down payment are still in stores, they were allowed to be produced by 31 March. Yet the switch is faster than expected: in the summer you will hardly find any pawn -free products, said Parth.

However, they can still be sold towards the end of the year, which currently often leads to questions from customers, Fiala explains. Many were surprised why the machine does not accept their container – it often turns out that it was not a deposit owl at all. According to the director, this kind of confusion is understandable because of the still dominant “mixed existence” of deposits and non-deposit products.

Responsibility for the entire PFAND chain
In the course of the switch you are in a permanent exchange with consumers. For this, Recyclingpfand Austria manages a service potline and can be reached via e -mail address or via social media channels. “We are also an operational company,” said Parth. The entire logistics was organized from the small branch to the sorting system, “the entire deposit has also been hit through us”. In summary, people are responsible for the entire chain – “If the return of the pawn did not work in one day, we will get it,” Fiala added.

The real goal of the disposable deposit is that this segment makes a contribution to the circular economy and recycling and therefore environmental pollution: “This ‘litter’ disappears from a deposit system because every 25 cents bottle is worth it. And that is why the approval of these promises has always been very high”. To do this, the return in Austria must be increased from approximately 70 percent to at least 90 percent by 2027 and the corresponding directive (single-use-plastic) must be paid for two years faster than by the EU. And the down payment for non -referee containers – the SO -born deposit slip – is used for the further development of the system.

Circuit closed via the promise system
Fiala pointed to another important EU requirement that since this year every producer has to use in his plastic bottles for pets. “At the moment it is 25 percent and that means that each producer needs part of his material back”. And so this cycle is closed via the seduction system, which has not yet been the case in Austria, because “the producer has not yet had access to the collected pet bottles.”