Made possible by bottle deposit: less pollution, more recycling | Umweltbundesamt

Anyone returning deposit bottles is doing his bit for the environment. The same goes for reusable as well as one-way bottles and packaging. These are the findings of a study done by bifa environmental institute GmbH on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency, according to which the compulsory deposit on one-way packaging does indeed amount to less litter on streets and in public areas. Furthermore, one-way packaging made of plastic or aluminium is more easily recoverable since collection volumes and sorting according to types have increased. Despite these positive effects it still holds true that reusable PET bottles are more ecologically advantageous than one-way bottles and packaging. UBA President Jochen Flasbarth commented, “Reusable packaging has proved to be the right choice ecologically speaking. The deposit on one-way packaging has also led to environmental improvements.”