Areas covered

The Danish Ministry of the Environment specifies the types of packaging covered by the system. Legally, deposits apply to all cans and bottles that contain beer, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, mineral water, iced tea, ready-to-drink beverages, cider products and water sold in Denmark. Deposits apply to both one-way packaging and refillable bottles.

Products not covered

Drink products not covered by the system, and for which no deposit is payable or refundable, include: fruit squash, juice, cocoa, wine and spirits.

Refillables and one-way packaging

The system differentiates between two types of packaging for which deposits and refunds are applicable: refillable bottles (refillables) and one-way packaging.

• Refillables are bottles that are washed and refilled by the producer. These can be made from glass or plastic. A producer or importer registering a product as refillable is legally bound to operate a return system. This means that the company has to arrange for the collection, washing and refilling of the bottle, and document both the collection process and a return percentage rate of 98.
   
  
• One-way packaging is a single-use product which is subsequently melted down for recycling. The materials used can be glass, plastic, aluminium and steel. If a producer or importer registers a product as one-way packaging, then the empty packaging is collected from stores and outlets by Dansk Retursystem, which sells the materials for recycling.

Refundable deposit

The system comprises three types of deposit A,B,C, with each one refundable on delivery of the packaging to the store or outlet. The cash values of the refunds are laid down by the Danish Ministry of the Environment. Each type of one-way packaging is identified by a label indicating to which category the packaging belongs.

Types of labels used are described in Labels and Labelling of packaging 

Refundable deposits are as follows: