Expanding the return and deposit system

Dansk Retursystem wants to make it easy and simple for Danish consumers to return their one-way (disposable) packaging. The concept of the Pant station (a packaging deposit system) is part of the further development of the Danish deposit and return system making it easier to collect and recycle packaging. Our aim is to make it even more efficient and user-friendly to return beverage packaging with a view to motivating Danish consumers to return even more empty items of packaging for the benefit of the environment and to conserve natural resources.

Our goal is for the stations to make the process easy and efficient with it taking less than 30 seconds to deliver 100 items of packaging at a time. Thus, improving the possibility for Dansk Retursystem to collect and recycle packaging.

Making it easier for consumers

The extended return and deposit system enable consumers to collect their bottles and cans in a deposit sack that can hold up to 100 items and deliver everything at one time. Deposit sacks are connected via microchip to the consumer’s deposit card with the deposits being repaid into the person’s bank account within 10 days. Bottles and cans without a payable deposit can be returned as well in order to ensure that they are recycled. Having delivered a sack, consumers can track its progress as it passes through the packaging deposit system.

Dansk Retursystem collects the containers with the deposit sacks from the Pant station and delivers them to our processing plants. Deposit sacks are emptied upon arrival and the contents of each sack are counted with the deposits credited to the consumer's bank account. Dansk Retursystem subsequently ensures that all the used packaging is recycled so it becomes new bottles, cans and food packaging and that the high quality is retained so it can be used for the same purpose again. In this way we save energy and avoid having to extract new raw materials from the earth.

For more information regarding the return and deposit system: Where to take bottles and cans

A supplement

Consumers will still be able to deposit bottles and cans at reverse vending machines in shops around Denmark. Not ment to replace the current systemt, Pant station  will act as a supplement.

The first Pant station was trialled in a suburb west of Copenhagen in 2012. Now we have 12 units in test located throughout Denmark, and they have been very positively received. The results from these trials will subsequently be used to help us decide whether to install additional units and extend the return and deposit system further.