Legal provisions:

Article 3(1), point (62), defines ‘deposit and return system’ as ‘a system in which a deposit is charged to the end user when purchasing a packaged or filled product covered by that system and redeemed when the deposit bearing packaging is returned through one of the collection channels that are authorised for that purpose by the national authorities.’ According to Article 50(1), ‘By 1 January 2029, Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure the separate collection of at least 90 % per year by weight of the following packaging formats made available on the market for the first time in that Member State in a given calendar year: single-use plastic beverage bottles with a capacity of up to three litres; and single-use metal beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres.’. Article 50(2) provides that ‘In order to achieve the targets set out in paragraph 1, Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that deposit and return systems are set up for the relevant packaging formats referred to in paragraph 1 and that a deposit is charged at the point of sale.’ Article 50(5) offers Member States an exemption possibility from the obligation in paragraph 2 under the following conditions: the rate of separate collection as required under Article 48 of the relevant packaging format as submitted to the Commission under Article 56(1), point (c), is 80 % or more by weight of such packaging made available on the territory of that Member State for the first time in the calendar year 2026; and by 1 January 2028, the Member State notifies the Commission of its request for exemption and submits an implementation plan showing a strategy with concrete measures, including their timeline, that ensure achievement of the 90 % separate collection rate by weight of the packaging referred to in paragraph 1.’

← 28. National exemptions from Deposit and Return Systems (DRS) · All articles · d1e2316-1-1__para →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.