A new digital step in the bottle refund system.
The new system for Einwegpfand (deposit for recyclable glass, plastic, and metal containers) in Austria not only focused on the return of containers but also resulted in the printing of millions of paper receipts daily. With this large amount of paper, two supermarket chains began to consider an alternative digital solution.
Since January 1, 2025, it has become necessary to pay a deposit of 25 cents on most plastic and metal containers with a capacity between 0.1 to 3 liters. More than 12 million containers have already been returned in the first few weeks, resulting in the printing of a huge number of deposit receipts (Pfandbons).
In this context, the SPAR chain is working on integrating compensation delivery directly into its current application. The company's management announced that the project is in its final stages, and customers are expected to be able to use this feature in just a few weeks.
SPAR has indicated that more than half of the affected products have already been subject to the new system, and the company expects that all products it delivers will be compliant with the system by mid-year, with products not marked with the compensation label running out by autumn. The company's report also notes a gradual increase in the number of returned packages, in line with rising sales.
Lidl Österreich has also confirmed that it is working on a similar digital solution, but it has not revealed any additional details so far. On the other hand, the REWE chain has not commented on future plans in this regard, but it has indicated that it has already retrieved more than 3.7 million containers, of which 44% are plastic and 56% are metal. The company has noticed that the number of returned containers has doubled weekly. As part of its efforts to reduce paper usage, REWE has successfully saved over eight million paper receipts since September 2024 through the digital invoice feature in the "jö" app.
It is noted that the Einwegpfand system does not include composite cardboard beverage containers, or milk and dairy product containers, or concentrated drinks (syrups). To return the container, it must be empty, not compressed, and carry the label with the system logo.