Dansk Retursystem: Circular economy for beverages packaging
Through high return rates, an innovative supply chain and closed-loop recycling of beverage packaging, the Danish deposit system contributes to a circular economy and a lower impact on the environment and climate.
Circular economy for beverages packaging
Imagine a world where none of the extracted natural resources are lost but instead are circulated over and over again, benefitting not only the climate and the environment but also the social economy. Dansk Retursystem works hard to support the transition to a circular economy through closed-loop recycling of beverage packaging.
So far, they have managed to ensure one of the highest return rates in the world. 92% of all deposit marked beverage packaging sold on the Danish market are returned by the consumers. 90% of the collected bottles and cans are recycled in a closed-loop to new bottles and cans. Furthermore, the packaging fees paid by the breweries and importers have been lowered by 58% over the last four years; for some specific packaging, there is no fee.
Circular economy is Dansk Retursystem’s core business. In the near future, the aim is to obtain a circular economy for 99% of all beverage packaging – environmentally (bottle-to-bottle and can-to-can) and economically (no fees).
It will require ongoing stakeholder involvement in the innovation of an even more efficient and user-friendly deposit system with the highest environmental performance.
About Dansk Retursystem
Dansk Retursystem is a non-profit company that operates the deposit and return system for beverage packaging in Denmark as layed out in the Danish legislative Statutory Order on Deposit. The company is owned by the breweries and headed by a board of directors representing breweries and retailers. Dansk Retursystem has adopted a new strategy called JOIN25 involving all employees and other primary stakeholders to reach ambitious environmental, economic and social goals in line with the SDG’s.