Beverage Packaging: more transparency for returnable and disposable packaging

What do Switzerland, Barbados and the Fiji Islands all have in common? Some may think of such terms as concealed accounts, tax havens or the Panama Papers. In fact, these states along with 23 other countries have mandatory deposit systems in common. Strikingly enough, one in four of these nations are smaller island states as these are particularly affected by carelessly dumped waste.

In addition to the suitable material for beverage packaging and the necessary infrastructure, consumer behaviour is also decisive for a well-functioning recycling system. After all, consumers are the ones to dispose of beverage cans, cartons and bottles correctly and/or return them to the retailer. This requires clear labelling. But as they say, other countries have different ways of doing things. And so it happens, it is not only the rules governing returns that vary from country to country but also the labels.

Germany is repeatedly cited as one of the pioneers in terms of recycling rates. But even here there is still confusion on the part of consumers. Once upon a time there were clear rules: there was only a deposit for reusable beverage packaging. It was introduced in Germany as early as in 1929 by - surprise, surprise - beverage giant Coca-Cola. Unlike the one-way deposit, the returnable deposit is a voluntary system for beverage manufacturers. After return, the glass or PET bottles are cleaned and refilled. This can be done about 50 times with glass bottles - on average the bottle will remain in circulation for seven years. Plastic bottles achieve at least 15 cycles. Damaged units are filtered off and recycled.

Returnable packaging can, as a rule, be identified by the word ‘Mehrweg’ on the label and/or return symbols such as the Blue Angle of the Federal Environment Agency or the value-added logo. However, there is no uniform labelling. 

Often, bottles that are used several times feature visible traces. The friction of the bottles in the bottling plants, for example, results in so-called circulation marks - the more often a bottle is filled, the clearer the mark. With returnable PET bottles, there are also sometimes small triangles under the label. They indicate how many circles the bottle has already completed. 

Since 2003 a mandatory deposit for disposable beverage packaging has been in force in Germany. The legal basis for this is the Packaging Ordinance introduced in 1991. It determines whether a “beverage bottled in ecologically detrimental disposable packaging“ falls within the scope of the mandatory deposit. Since 2006 this mandatory deposit applies to the packaging of all beer, beer-based mix drinks, mineral and table waters, soft drinks in cans and single-use plastic and glass bottles. In Germany these disposable deposit items are labelled with the DPG symbol.

More transparency is needed so that the two parallel deposit regulations, reusable and disposable, can be better distinguished by the consumer in future.

A new packaging act is designed to ensure this. In addition to providing citizens with more transparency, the revision of the law is also hoped to increase the recycling rate for packaging waste. As of 2019, the mandatory deposit will be extended to include carbonated fruit and vegetable juices and mixed milk drinks such as energy drinks with whey content.  

To help consumers make a conscious decision in favour of disposable or reusable drinks, additional labelling on the shelf will also be mandatory. In addition to the price, the words disposable and reusable should clearly indicate the respective beverage system.

As early as 2016 numerous companies from the beverage industry and trade already joined a voluntary initiative and undertook to use the additional information ‘Single-Use’, ‘Deposit’ and the deposit amount of EUR 0.25 before 1 January 2019.