Overview

• Over the past three years, Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg has received nearly 400 formal complaints about supermarkets and discounters rejecting returnable bottles and cans.
• Consumer filings indicate machine errors accounted for 47 percent of cases due to unreadable signage, 23 percent citing broken machines and 14 percent reporting items as “not in assortment.”
• Under the Verpackungsgesetz, most stores must accept one-way deposit packaging regardless of purchase location or condition, while small shops and unmatched reusable bottles remain exempt.
• Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg is calling for stronger regulatory inspections and the imposition of fines on outlets that violate deposit-return laws.
• Handelsverband Deutschland argues that returns are generally smooth with staff assistance on rare technical glitches, prompting a debate on enforcement measures and clearer guidance for reusable packaging returns.