Austria: Details for the introduction of the deposit system from 2025 enacted

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On 26 September 2023, the Deposit regulation for disposable beverage packaging came into force in Austria. The ordinance regulates the details of the deposit system for one-way beverage packaging made of plastic and metal from 1 January 2025. All types of beverages with a volume of 0.1 to 3.0 litres are affected, with the exception of milk and dairy products. The deposit is 0.25 EUR and is independent of the material or size of the container. All deposit packaging must be marked with a barcode and a deposit symbol. The deposit system is organised by a central organisation and operated by the obligated parties in the form of a non-profit limited liability company (EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich gGmbH).  The company organises the logistics and the handling of the material, money and data flows. The central organisation will be the owner of the collected goods. Bottlers will have a right of first refusal for the recycled material.

The owner of the non-profit limited company is the Trägerverein Einwegpfand, which all producers and collectors can join. The entire deposit system is financed by a producer fee (contributions from the bottlers).  The amount of the contributions shall take into account the recyclability of the packaging through an eco-modulation.

Initial distributors are obliged to collect the deposit when selling the packaging concerned. The obligated parties must register with EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich gGmbH. Registration will be possible from summer 2024. Final distributors are obliged to take back empty packaging. Sales outlets that take back empty packaging manually (without return machines) only have to take back the packaging they offer themselves in the usual ordered quantities. A Handling fee per unit covers the expenses of the take-back points.

There are exceptions to the mandatory return of packaging for restaurants, sales points in frequented locations and vending machines, among others:

• Operators of hospitality businesses do not have to collect a deposit for packaging that remains on site.
• Operators of sales points in highly frequented locations (e.g. airports, railway stations…) can designate an alternative return point. The return point and the place where the deposit vouchers can be redeemed must be in the immediate vicinity. In addition, the end consumers must be informed about the return and redemption points.
• For the sale of packaging from vending machines, a collection point must be designated. The take-back point must be located in the immediate vicinity and communicated to end consumers.

A transitional period is foreseen. Products filled before 1 April 2025 may be sold without collecting the deposit until 31 December 2025. The collection of this packaging will still be done via the yellow bin or the yellow bag. Products filled after 1 April 2025 must be registered and labelled accordingly.

According to EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich gGmbH, a detailed manual with all the important information on labelling and registration will be available from autumn 2023. With the start of the deposit system in 2025, a collection rate of 80 % is to be achieved. The collection rate is to be increased to 90 % by 2027.