• Registration and collection
• Statutory obligations

Statutory obligations

Legally, deposits apply to all cans and bottles sold in Denmark that contain beer, soft drinks, alcopops, energy drinks, cider products, mineral water and iced tea. This means that all sales locations are legally obliged to take returned empty packaging and refund the deposits paid by consumers.

Refillables – bottles that are washed and refilled

A store must take back and refund the deposits paid on all types of bottles of the same material, capacity and design, irrespective of whether these are sold by the store or not – based on the following criteria:

• Bottles made from the same material (glass or plastic)
• Bottles with the same capacity
• Bottles with the same outer diameter
• Bottles with the same height

One-way packaging

Sales locations with reverse vending machines must take all types of one-way packaging.

The following rules apply to smaller sales locations without reverse vending machines:

• Cans must be taken if the location sells cans.
   
• One-way glass bottles must be taken if the location sells this type of packaging.
   
• One-way plastic bottles must be taken if the location sells this type of packaging.

Packaging not covered by the deposit system

Each sales location can choose whether it wishes to receive all types of drinks packaging – irrespective of whether it is covered by a deposit or not. Locations opting to take everything back will also probably take back privately imported cans and bottles. Dansk Retursystem A/S does not charge for collecting this packaging – consequently there are no costs involved for the sales location.

Sorting and sealing the one-way packaging

Sales locations are also obliged to sort the empty bottles and cans by material type before collection. Once sorted, the sacks and pallets containing the empty packaging must be sealed with a location identifying strip. Once counted, Dansk Retursystem refunds the deposits paid on the returned packaging based on the store location identifying strip.