Twenty years of the German one-way deposit system: a success story

The DPG Deposit System is celebrating its anniversary and, twenty years after its introduction, can look back on a positive track record. Returning single-use beverage containers subject to a deposit has long since become second nature to consumers in Germany. A return rate of more than 96% demonstrates the system’s high level of acceptance and reliability in everyday life. Around 20 billion containers are returned to the circular economy every year. Valuable materials are preserved and can be reused for new products. DPG also contributes its expertise at the European level.

Collaboration between the retail sector and beverage industry

This success story has been made possible through the close collaboration between the retail sector and the beverage industry — together with consumers in Germany and a large network of system partners. The standardised DPG deposit system for single-use beverage packaging has been in place since May 2006.

One year earlier, the retail sector and the beverage industry had jointly founded Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG). In doing so, they took on the challenge arising from the mandatory deposit scheme introduced in 2003 and the extended take-back obligation for single-use beverage containers effective from 1 May 2006. The aim was to establish a standardised, high-performing and efficient deposit system that appropriately involves all market participants in line with their respective strengths.

The DPG Deposit System: resilient, scalable, future-proof

From the very beginning, DPG was established as a privately organised non-profit organisation bringing together all stakeholders involved in implementing the legal framework — creating a high-performing and resilient network, as Susanne Kürschner, Managing Director of DPG, explains:

“Over the past 20 years, the German Deposit System has proven to be resilient, scalable and future-proof. It demonstrates that a decentralised approach, based on clear rules and shared responsibility, works reliably and efficiently in a large market.”

The future viability of the system is also reflected in the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the draft German Packaging Law Implementation Act (Verpackungsrecht Durchführungsgesetz – VerpackDG): effective deposit return systems such as the German one are recognised in a way that preserves proven structures.

However, the strongest confirmation of the system’s success is the high level of acceptance among consumers. Every day, millions of people demonstrate this through the consistent return of beverage containers subject to the mandatory deposit.

In this way, many individual contributions come together to form a functioning circular system. DPG would like to thank all consumers and everyone involved in the system for their daily contribution to the success of the German Deposit System.