The Danish Depositand Return System

Birgitte EttrupDansk- retursystem A/S

The Danish deposit and return system

Danish consumers pay a deposit on bottles or cans when they buy beer, soft drinks, mineral water, iced tea or ready-to-drink lemonade

The deposit is refunded when the bottles or cans are returned

Bottles and cans on which deposits are payable can be taken to a reverse vending machine, or returned to the original selling location

Many stores will also take back bottles and cans on which no deposit is refundable, e.g. products purchased in Germany

Bottles and cans on which no deposit is refundable can also be taken to a local recycling centre

87% of all one-way packaging is returned to Dansk Retursystem A/S

Dansk Retursystem A/S

We want to contribute to a cleaner environment

We do this by:

Ensuring that as many bottles and cans are returned as possible

Making it as easy as possible to return bottles and cans

Working to ensure that bottles and cans are recycled as much as possible

Background to establishment of Dansk Retursystem A/S

Several political decisions contributed to the decision:

Free choice of packaging in Denmark for beer and carbonated soft drinks

Refunds required on packaging for beer and carbonated soft drinks in the interests of the environment

Political requirements on collection and recycling of one-way packaging on which deposits are payable

Dansk Retursystem A/S was established as a result of cooperation between the brewing and grocery industries.

Statutory order

Statutory Order on Deposits and Collection etc. of Packaging for Beer and

certain Soft Drinks

– no. 634 of 19 June 2008

Came into force on 4 September 2008

128 paragraphs (in Danish)

.

Dansk Retursystem A/S granted exclusive right as administrative and collection company

Compulsory registration for all suppliers of products on which deposits are payable

Requirements for a high returns percentage

Requirements covering marking of all one-way packaging for beer, carbonated soft drinks, alcoholic soft drinks, iced tea, mineral water and ready-to-drink lemonade

Requirements on EU tendering for as many operational tasks as possible

Requirements on reporting of confidential information to impartial firm of accountants

Option for the authorities to purchase or take over the company

Main requirements of the Statutory Order

Dansk Retursystem A/S – organisation

Owners Board

Operations

ConsumersProducers and

importers

Stores/offices/ restaurants and

others

Danish Environmental

Protection Agency

Nationwide deposit and return system

Consumers can collect refunds on empty bottles and cans at nearly 6,000 different locations in Denmark

More than 2,800 reverse vending machines installed in 2,600 stores throughout Denmark

More than 600 producers and importers have registered with Dansk Retursystem A/S

Dansk Retursystem A/S

Collects bottles and cans free of charge

Counts all packaging and refunds the deposits paid

Sorts and separates glass, PET and aluminium, and sends the materials for recycling

Pays handling fee

Pays a subsidy for improving efficiency in stores

Carries out information campaigns

Deposit and return system

Sales outletsSuppliersDansk

Retursystem A/S

Consumers

Collection and logistics fees

Handling fee

One-way packaging returned

In 2007 Danes returned around 345 million empty items of drinks packaging on which deposits were paid – glass bottles, plastic bottles, and aluminium cans

In 2007 Dansk Retursystem A/S collected enough aluminium to produce 185 million new cans

Return percentage in 2007 was 87%

Dansk Retursystem A/S and the environment

Dansk Retursystem A/S has installed 1,400 compactors on the premises of Denmark’s largest stores

Almost half of all plastic bottles and cans are flattened at the stores

Compactors reduce the transport requirement significantly

Dansk Retursystem A/S collects packaging from 11,000 customers

Via 11 intermediate storage facilities

Counting takes place at two counting stations in Jutland and Zealand

Deposit and return system is good for the environment

When we collect empty bottles and cans it means:

Less rubbish, both in the bin at home and in the environment

Better use of resources – recycling of all materials

We use less oil, gas, metal

Lower energy consumption = less CO2 = less climate change

Does it work?

Yes. Return percentage is increasing – now 87% for one-way packaging

2008 nationwide rubbish collection.

154,400 cans collected in total – only 7,790 deposit refundable items

Very few free riders

Why does the system work?

Refundable deposit

Convenience

Responsibility: I behave in an environmentally responsible way

Drink products sold in Denmark without the deposit mark are liable to confiscation and fines

Historical – long-standing tradition for collecting bottles in Denmark