Packaging deposit system expanded to include also juice and lemonade bottles
From this autumn you will find more plastic bottles to be part of the deposit system as new products not previously part of the Danish pant system, the deposit system for beer, soft drinks and mineral water are put on the market.
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By Bente D. Knudsen
Denmark’s large-scale deposit system for glass and plastic bottles used for drinks will now include also plastic and glass bottles used for juice and lemonade as well as smoothies.
Starting on 1 July 2019, the system is slowly phased in allowing supermarkets and kiosks to sell out of their current non-deposit stock, however, as of 1 November all producers must deliver products with the deposit mark on their bottles.
So remember to check if your purchase is part of the deposit system or you will lose your deposit.
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Dansk Retursystem, the organisation responsible for coordinating and implementing the deposit and return system, expect that more than 400 new products will join the existing deposit system.
The expanded system will bring approximately 52 million more returned packaging elements into the deposit system, thus reducing the C02 impact by 5,700 tons.
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Facts about the Danish deposit and return system:
Producers and importers pay for packaging to be recycled in the Danish deposit and return system, which is operated by the non-profit company Dansk Retursystem.
The company has three main sources of income:
Aluminium, glass and plastic from returned bottles and cans are sold to companies that process the material and manufacture new packaging from it. Dansk Retursystem receives the income from the sale.
About 10 percent of all bottles and cans sold are not returned. These unclaimed deposits contribute to the deposit and return system.
Producers and importers of bottled and canned beverages pay an annual fee for marketing beverages on which deposits are payable. This is a political decision enacted by law. The fees vary for each type of bottle or can depending on the volume of the bottle or can and how easy it is to recycle the material.