Danish drinks pack return system proves successful

Archiv – In its first year of operation, Denmark’s deposit-and-return system for drinks packaging achieved recovery rates of 81% for beer and soft drinks cans and 90% for glass bottles, according to preliminary estimates for 2003.In its first year of operation, Denmark’s deposit-and-return system for drinks packaging achieved recovery rates of 81% for beer and soft drinks cans and 90% for glass bottles, according to preliminary estimates for 2003. However, the 82% recovery rate for disposable packaging as a whole was still short of the target of 90% set for the end of this year.
For many years prior to the introduction of the return system, disposable containers for certain kinds of drinks were prohibited in Denmark to protect the market share of refillables. However, legal pressure from the EU prompted the Danish government to lift the ’can ban’.