Intended and unintended effects of statutory deposit return schemes for single-use plastic bottles: Lessons learned from the German experience

Several EU countries discuss introducing deposit systems for single-use bottles to mitigate pollution. However, as an analysis of the German experiences indicates, the introduction of a deposit on single-use beverage containers might unintendedly compromise the endeavor to implement a circular economy. Such unintended effects need to be considered to enable the implementation of a circular economy that prioritizes reduction and reuse compared to recycling.High levels of environmental pollution and low recycling rates have triggered a debate on deposit return systems for single-use beverage containers (BCs) within the European Union. In 2003, Germany statutorily implemented a deposit for single-use BCs, which operates alongside a historically grown deposit system for multi-use bottles. The long-standing German practice can be used as a source of relevant experiences. These experiences show that the introduction of a single-use deposit is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it caused an increase in return and recycling rates of single-use BCs. On the other hand, there were unintended effects on the long-standing multi-use system and, thus, on the endeavor to implement a circular economy where reduction and reuse are prioritized rather than recycling. It seems that the introduction of a single-use deposit system promotes a narrow mode of thinking and a focus on recycling, which hinders the revitalization of multi-use BC systems. The EU’s debate on single-use deposit lacks critical consideration of such unintended effects. The discussion of the German experiences might help to avoid unintended effects that hinder the establishment of a circular economy.