DPG Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH - Function of the DPG-System

Clearing service provider must conclude a licensing agreement with DPG and are then commissioned, as executing aides of First Distributors / Deposit Account Administrators or Refund Claimants, with the practical implementation of duties in the clearing process.

Depending on the functions to be discharged, clearing service provider in the DPG-System can register as Deposit Account Administrators or/and Refund Claimant Administrators.

Deposit Account Administrators

Deposit Account Administrators can be commissioned by First Distributors / Deposit Account Administrators with the discharging of duties in the clearing process that the party awarding the commission cannot or does not wish to attend to personally.

Significant duties in this connection are, for example:

Receipt of deposit invoices and notices of claim
Checking deposit invoices and notice of claims for their agreement and for the correctness of their content, as well as their objectivity
Objections about missing or faulty deposit invoices or notice of claims
Release for payment of justified deposit claims

Deposit Account Service Provider act as executing aides. The appointing First Distributors / Deposit Account Administrators nevertheless remain responsible for the activities carried out. A correspondingly precise combination of commissioning and supervision is therefore to be recommended.

Refund Claimant Service Provider

Refund Claimant Service Provider can be commissioned by Refund Claimants with the discharging of duties in the clearing process that the party awarding the commission cannot or does not wish to attend to personally.

Significant duties in this connection are, for example:

Preparation of electronic count data from Reverse Vending Machines
Comparison of the electronic count data with the system database
Preparation of deposit invoices and notice of claim
Dispatch of deposit invoices and notice of claim
Supervision of receipt of payment

It is up to each refund claimant to decide which duties in the clearing process should be undertaken personally and which duties should be charged to clearing administrators. The DPG does not issue specifications or make suggestions in this connection.

Refund Claimant Service Provider act as executing aides. The appointing refund claimants nevertheless remain responsible for the activities carried out. A correspondingly precise combination of commissioning and supervision is therefore to be recommended.

In the context of the deposit clearing process, the requirements placed by DPG on

First Distributors / Deposit Account Administrators and
on Refund Claimants,

require appropriate technical know-how and personnel, as well as the necessary software and hardware capacity for processing of the sometimes very large quantities of data.

Against this background, First Distributors / Deposit Account Administrators and Refund Claimants can commission those service provider specialized in this field with the technical management of the clearing processing.

Depending on the role of the party issuing the order in the DPG-System, one can choose between Deposit Account Administrators and Refund Claimant contractors.

In the meantime many companies, both foreign and domestic, have joined the DPG-System. For an overview of DPG-certified companies that manufacture DPG packagings or from which labels are acquired please contact the DPG

To be licensed as a DPG packaging manufacturer or packaging label printer you first have to undergo the certification procedure described. For an overview of the certification companies acting on behalf of DPG please contact the DPG.

Overview of User DPG-ink - producer of cans-, labels- and cover labels (28.01.2020):

PDF-Version

Excel-Version

In order to be approved as a DPG packaging manufacturer or label printer, you must go through the certification procedure described above. An overview of the certification companies working for the DPG can be found here:

Overview of certifiers User DPG-Ink

Instruction sheet for the certification of User DPG-Ink

Since the handling of DPG ink is a safety-relevant aspect for the entire system, care must be taken to ensure that the drink-can manufacturers and label printers handle the DPG ink properly. This is checked by means of certification procedures and upon realization is confirmed by a certificate. In discharging the certification process the DPG cooperates with independent certification companies.

A list of current certification companies can be called up at any time under the link "Associated Companies".

Two-Stage Certification Procedure

The certification consists of a two-stage initial certification and annual repeat certifications. For the first stage of the initial certification (security certification) a Stage-1 Certificate will be issued, and for the second stage of the initial certification (process certification) a Stage-2 Certificate (each also being referred to as a "certificate").

Stage 1 Security Certification (once only)

The licensing as a User DPG Ink becomes effective with the issuing of the Stage-1 Certificate for the first certified location.

Within the framework of the security certification it must be shown that the location in question satisfies the infrastructural requirements for use of DPG ink in accordance with the certification regulations.

After issuing of the Stage-1 Certificate (security certification) the recipient company is able, for the first time, to purchase DPG ink for this location from Producers of DPG Ink.

Within six months of the successful stage-1 certification, DPG ink users must successfully complete the second stage of the initial certification (process certification).

Stage 2 Process Certification (validity: 12 months)

To retain the certification, a process audit on operational ink management (stage-2 certification) must be completed with the issuance of a certificate 6 months after obtaining the security certification (stage 1) at the latest. The process audit embraces three main test points:

Random-sample on-site checks by the certification body of the monthly balance sheets to be prepared for DPG ink for each certified location (at least as regards size recording, see checklist) on the basis of company records and proof.
Random-sample checking of compliance with the DPG specifications relating to the manufactured products (DPG quality characteristics for DPG markings).
The continued existence of the prerequisites for the Stage-1 Certification.

After successful process audit a Stage-2 Certificate is issued, this having a maximum period of validity of 12 months.

An annual repeat certification within 12 months checks compliance with the specifications in accordance with the certification regulations.

The Marking Standards in the DPG System

The marking of one-way drinks packaging is given central importance in the DPG-System. It consists essentially of two components:

the so-called "DPG Marking" and
an article number (GTIN) that is used exclusively for the German market and that satisfies several important functions.

Licensing Procedures for producers of DPG labels and packagings

In view of their central importance for the marking procedure and security relevance, label printers and packaging manufacturers wishing to produce DPG labels or packagings must conclude a licensing agreement with DPG as so-called "Users DPG Ink" and must undergo a location-related certification process.

Only certified and authorized Users DPG Ink are permitted to purchase the DPG ink from manufacturers of DPG ink necessary for the production of DPG labels and packagings. Moreover, only Users DPG Ink can acquire the so-called quality-assurance unit ["QS-Einheit"] required for checking the print quality of the DPG markings.

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