Glass deposit soon to be tested in “more than 1,000” stores in the north and west of France

Customers of these stores will be charged a deposit at the checkout in exchange for glass containers, jars or bottles “probably around 20 or 30 cents, depending on the sizes and formats”.

Glass deposit will be tested in “more than 1 000 hypermarkets, supermarkets and organic stores” from May 2025, indicates Célia Rennesson, director of the association Réseau Vrac et Réemploi, on franceinfo, Thursday August 22. It will be tested in the Pays-de-la-Loire, Brittany, Normandy and Hauts-de-France on products that the inhabitants of these regions “are used to consuming big brands in glass packaging that can be returned for reuse”.

Customers of these stores will be charged a deposit at the checkout in exchange for glass containers, jars or bottles. This will be a “small monetary value”, “probably around 20 or 30 cents, depending on the sizes and formats”specifies Célia Rennesson. According to the director of Réseau Vrac et Réemploi, a happy medium must be found for the price of the deposit: “If the packaging has no value, it may not be returned and, at the same time, it must not be too stifling so as not to reduce purchasing power.”

Once the product is consumed, customers can return the packaging to the store, where “We will give them back their instructions”continues Célia Renesson. The jar or bottle will then be sorted, washed, and then returned to the producer. The goal is to reuse 10% of packaging by 2027, as required by the Agec law on the circular economy of February 2020. “This is the minimum we set for ourselves”emphasizes the director of the association. According to her, with the instruction, “we will all be winners, economically and environmentally.”

Célia Rennesson is considering opening a “call for demonstrations to encourage other producers, other brands, which have products sold in this region, to join the project”.