Soon to be back in testing in France, does the glass deposit system in stores work in Germany?

The glass deposit system will make a comeback in France with an experiment in four regions next spring. 16 million inhabitants are concerned. In Germany, it has been established since the 1990s.

For over 30 years, the Germans have been using this system, which will make a big comeback in France, with an experiment in Brittany, Normandy, Pays de la Loire and Hauts-de-France in spring 2025. At first, in our neighbouring countries, it mainly concerned glass bottles, but the deposit was extended to cans in the early 2000s and, today, it is even possible to return glass yoghurt pots, milk bottles and almost all plastic bottles, even single-use ones, to the supermarket.

How does the deposit work?

When you go to the checkout, when you buy your drink, you pay a deposit. The amount varies depending on the bottle. If it is a single-use container (like a can), you pay the highest deposit, which is 25 cents, because the environmental cost is higher since it will have to be recycled.

On the other hand, if you take a reusable bottle, the bill, between 8 and 15 cents, is much less heavy. These reusable bottles are not actually recycled. They are sent back to the factory, where they are rinsed and refilled. They can be used about 50 times, so the environmental impact is lower. There are still some exceptions. For example, baby and children’s drinks are exempt from deposits. As are cardboard cartons, which are already easily recycled.

Does this system reduce waste and promote recycling?

Overall, yes. The recycling rate for bottles and cans in Germany exceeds 98%, according to the European Consumer Centre. This is much better than in France, where it is stagnating at around 60%.

However, not everything is perfect in Germany. For example, the deposit legislation has had a perverse effect. It has increased the share of single-use plastic bottles, particularly because consumers can return them to any store, where machines will compact them, which is not the case for reusable bottles, which take up more space.