A guide to the can deposit scheme: 25 cents, the deposit logo and returning cans

In Germany, there is a can deposit of at least 25 cents on every beverage can between 0.1 and 3 litres. You pay it when you buy the drink and get it back when you return the can. Here you can find out which cans this applies to, how to recognise deposit cans, where you can return them, what happens with crushed cans, and what happens to them afterwards.

A brief guide to the can deposit scheme

• Amount: at least 0.25 euros including VAT per package, levied at all stages of the supply chain.
• Legal basis: Since 12 August 2026, the Packaging Act Implementation Act (VerpackDG) has governed the deposit scheme; it has replaced the Packaging Act.
• Since when: The one-way deposit was introduced on 1 January 2003.
• Return rates: The deposit-refund scheme operated by Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG) reports return rates of 96 per cent and above for around 20 billion items of packaging per year.

Our cans also have a deposit: 0.25 euros per can, 1.50 euros per six-pack and 6.00 euros per tray of 24 cans.

Which cans are subject to a deposit?

The law requires anyone placing drinks in single-use beverage containers on the market for the first time to charge a deposit. Exemptions include, amongst others, containers holding less than 0.1 or more than 3.0 litres, certain beverage cartons, tubular pouches and stand-up pouches, as well as containers that can be proven not to be intended for end consumers in Germany.

There are exceptions for some drinks – such as wine, sparkling wine, spirits, fruit juices and milk. However, these exceptions do not apply if the drinks are packaged in single-use plastic bottles or beverage cans. As regards cans, this means that practically every beverage can on the German market is subject to a deposit if it holds between 0.1 and 3 litres.

How can you tell which cans are returnable?

Packaging subject to a deposit must be permanently, clearly legible and clearly visible marked as subject to a deposit. Manufacturers use the DPG symbol and a barcode for this purpose. The deposit logo is printed in a special DPG colour, and each item of packaging bears a product number – the GTIN – assigned specifically for the German market.

In shops, a clearly legible sign bearing the word ‘SINGLE-USE’ must be displayed directly next to these drinks – to indicate that the packaging will not be reused once it has been returned. The same applies to online retailers.

Where can you return cans?

Anyone who sells drinks in single-use packaging must accept empty packaging free of charge at the point of sale or in the immediate vicinity during opening hours and refund the deposit. This obligation applies to the types of packaging that the shop stocks itself – if a shop sells cans, it must take them back. It doesn’t matter where you bought the can, and you don’t have to buy anything new.

• Small shops under 200 square metres, such as kiosks or small petrol stations, are only required to take back packaging from the brands they themselves stock.
• Vending machines and online retail: The seller must allow returns within a reasonable distance.
• According to the Consumer Advice Centre, deposit receipts, like vouchers, are valid for three years from the end of the year in which they were printed, and can generally only be redeemed at the branch that issued them.

Crushed, damaged or missing its label?

Reverse vending machines only recognise cans if the deposit symbol and barcode are clearly legible and the can is not crushed. To check this, modern machines use up to six cameras to scan the deposit logo and the barcode. According to the Consumer Advice Centre, if the machine fails to recognise damaged packaging, staff must accept it manually and refund the deposit – a ruling confirmed by the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court. If the deposit symbol and barcode are missing entirely, it becomes difficult to recognise the can as subject to a deposit.

If a return is wrongly refused, the Consumer Advice Centre advises contacting the branch manager first and, if that fails, informing the local authority’s waste management department. However, the authority cannot refund the deposit.

How the can deposit scheme came about

The red-green federal government passed legislation introducing a mandatory deposit scheme in 2002, which came into force on 1 January 2003 – with the aim of reducing waste and increasing the proportion of reusable containers. Initially, this applied to beer, mineral water and carbonated soft drinks. At first, consumers could only get their deposit back at the shop where they had made their purchase.

In 2006, the system was simplified: since then, all shops selling single-use packaging subject to a deposit have been required to take it back, regardless of where it was purchased, and the deposit is a standard 25 cents. Since 2022, alcoholic mixed drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, wine and sparkling wine in cans and plastic bottles have also been subject to a deposit; since January 2024, this has also applied to milk and milk-based drinks in such packaging.

What the deposit brought in

A study carried out by the Augsburg-based bifa Institute on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency concluded in 2010 that the mandatory deposit scheme had led to less litter on streets and in public spaces, and that single-use plastic or aluminium containers are easier to recycle. For 2012, the Federal Environment Agency estimated a return rate of 95.9 per cent. According to the GVM, beverage cans now account for just 0.03 per cent of the tonnage of litter carelessly discarded in public spaces, following the collection of deposit-bearing items.

The second target was not met: the proportion of reusable bottles fell – in 2004, two-thirds of bottles were still being refilled, whereas by 2010 the figure had dropped to less than half. As many people confused the deposit system with returnable bottles, bifa recommended a clear label stating ‘disposable’ or ‘returnable’ – today, the law requires shops to display a ‘DISPOSABLE’ sign.

What happens after you return the item

Vending machines and sorting systems scan the GTIN and generate a data record for the deposit settlement; at the same time, the packaging is shredded and sent for recycling. Behind the feed chute, the materials end up in separate containers. In 2019, 99.3 per cent of aluminium beverage cans, by weight, were sent for recycling.

The article ‘Aluminium Recycling’ explains how aluminium from a can is recycled.

Disposable is not the same as reusable

A deposit does not automatically mean the bottle is reusable. Reusable bottles are cleaned and refilled; their deposit is usually between 8 and 15 cents. Single-use packaging such as cans is recycled after return, and a new container is required for every drink. The Consumers’ Advice Centre considers regionally bottled reusable bottles to be the safer choice from an environmental perspective. In 2021, the proportion of reusable bottles stood at 42.6 per cent, well below the target of 70 per cent.

The reasons why we still favour cans, and the arguments against them, can be found on the ‘Why Cans?’ page. The ‘EU Packaging Regulation’ page explains the obligations set out in the EU Packaging Regulation.

Can deposits in Europe

The new EU Packaging Regulation sets a collection target of 90 per cent for single-use beverage packaging. Austria introduced a one-way deposit scheme for single-use items in January 2025, with Slovakia and Romania following suit. Read more in the article ‘Can deposits in Europe’.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 207: Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG), Sections 46, 47; entered into force on 12 August 2026, published on 17 July 2026. recht.bund.de
2. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN): European Packaging Regulation comes into force today (Press release No. 097/26), 12 August 26. bundesumweltministerium.de
3. Consumer Advice Centre: Questions and Answers: Everything you need to know about one-way deposits and can deposits, accessed 16 September 2026. verbraucherzentrale.de
4. Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb): 10 Years of the Can Deposit Scheme (Current Background), accessed 16 September 2026. bpb.de
5. Wikipedia: Deposit on beverage containers, as at 26 August 26. de.wikipedia.org
6. One-way deposit (information page on one-way deposits): Bottle and can deposits, accessed 16 September 2026. einweg-mit-pfand.de
7. Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG): The DPG deposit process, accessed 16 September 2026. dpg-pfandsystem.de
8. Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG): Technical High-Performers, 9 May 24. dpg-pfandsystem.de
9. Federal Association of the Food Industry (BVE): 20 years of the one-way deposit scheme: How Germany established the EU’s largest deposit scheme, 7 August 2026. ernaehrungsindustrie.de
10. GVM Society for Packaging Market Research (on behalf of DAVR GmbH, Forum Getränkedose GbR, ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein GmbH): Recycling of Beverage Cans – Final Report, April 2021, reference year 2019. gvmonline.de
11. Federal Environment Agency: Proportion of drinks in reusable packaging has fallen slightly, 19 February 2024. umweltbundesamt.de
12. ACQUA REAPER: Product specifications, 14 September 26.