Overview

• Public waste services in Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf report more empty Mehrweg bottles left in streets and parks, with many ending up in incineration because they are damaged or heavily soiled.
• The association of municipal utilities (VKU) urges the beverage industry to raise deposits on bottles and crates or, failing that, for policymakers to set a minimum level.
• Germany’s Mehrweg glass deposit stands at about eight cents by industry agreement, unlike the statutory 25-cent deposit on single-use containers.
• Backers of an increase include Fritz-Kola and the association of private breweries, which float 20–25 cents, while major trade groups such as the Deutscher Brauer-Bund, mineral springs and beverage wholesalers oppose it citing costs, logistics and bottle-price economics.
• Austria lifted its glass deposit to 20 cents in February and reports more careful consumer behavior, though robust outcome data are not yet available, and some stakeholders call for EU-level coordination.