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After 40 years: Deposit on beer bottles is imminent

After more than 40 years without an increase, the deposit on classic 0.5-liter beer bottles is set to rise from 9 cents to 20 cents from February 2. Stored bottles will increase significantly in value practically overnight.

According to a media report, a change is also imminent for classic beer bottles following the introduction of the deposit for disposable bottles - more than a doubling, reported "Der Standard". There was initially no official confirmation, but on Friday the deposit increase was also confirmed by the breweries.

Value of bottles increases overnight
According to the report, the value of bottles already in stock with a 9-cent deposit, for which a 20-cent deposit is later paid, also increased virtually overnight. "The low deposit apparently led to more and more people disposing of the bottles and thus preventing them from being recycled," explained Karl Schwarz, Chairman of the Association of Breweries, on Friday.

The deposit system has been in place since January 1, 2025, and beer bottles are also set to receive a deposit increase soon.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Recycling Pfand Österreich, stock.adobe.com)

According to the Brewers' Association, the deposit increase will affect those glass bottles that are currently charged 9 cents in the return machines: These include 0.5-liter beer bottles, but also white glass bottles with screw caps and many 0.33-liter glass bottles. As "90 percent" of the bottles in question are beer bottles, the breweries' association claims to have initiated, negotiated and implemented the deposit increase.

We assume that the higher deposit will ensure that return intervals are shortened.

Florian Berger, Geschäftsführer des Brauereiverbands

Return intervals are likely to shorten
Returnable glass bottles that end up in the glass container instead of being returned to the supermarket are lost to breweries and other beverage producers and, according to the association, cause millions in losses for the industry. "We assume that the higher deposit will ensure that the return intervals are shortened," said Florian Berger, Managing Director of the Brewers' Association.

The association expects the deposit increase to result in more bottles being returned. "This will save a lot of resources in the very energy-intensive production of glass bottles," says association chairman Schwarz. Reusable glass bottles can be refilled up to 40 times.

According to the "Standard", the value of bottles already in stock with a 9-cent deposit, for which you can later get 20 cents, also increases virtually overnight. This is making the industry nervous, writes the newspaper. For this reason, the exact timing of the increase in deposit costs, which was already expected by industry experts, has so far been a well-kept secret. Since the beginning of January, Austria has also had a one-way deposit system for plastic bottles and aluminum cans (25 cents).