Austria increases deposit for beer bottles: a win for deposit tourists!

Austria increased the height of the deposit for empty beer bottles from 9 cents to 20 cents on January 1, 2025. This measure aims to increase the return rate of bottles, since a decrease in return mentality has been observed in recent years. About 90 % of the bottles affected are beer bottles. The change was considered urgently necessary because many bottles were disposed of in the old glass container, which resulted in both financial losses for breweries and environmental damage.

particularly emphasized is the possibility of so -called deposit tourism. Buyers from Germany can return bottles in Austria and benefit from the clear price difference in the deposit. A Tragerl beer costs 7 euros in Austria, while in Bavaria it only costs 3.10 euros deposit. For pledge tourists, this means a potential profit of 3.90 euros if they buy in Bavaria and return in Austria. Breweries near the border have already made agreements with Austrian customers to cope with the effects of deposit tourism.

Additional details on the deposit control

The pedent increase from 9 cents to 20 cents particularly affects the 0.5-liter beer bottle, which is the majority of the reusable containers. According to the Association of Austria, the higher deposit height is intended to promote the return of empty bottles. Before the deposit difference, many bottles were no longer in the reusable cycle, which resulted in financial losses for the breweries. There is now a difference for bottles that were bought before February 2 and are still occupied by 9 cents.

In addition, a deposit system for disposable plastic bottles and doses in Austria was introduced at the turn of the year, which further supports the switch to a more environmentally friendly system. The breweries must manage the effort and financial implications of the new regulations, which adds up to several million euros. The new regulation is expected to shorten the return intervals and reduce the need for new glasses.