Since 1 January, a deposit of at least EUR 0.25 is being charged for milk products in plastic bottles in Germany, a change that affects normal milk, beverages with a milk content of at least 50%, and other drinkable milk products such as cocoa, coffee drinks, kefir, and yoghurt.

“Europe is creating more packaging waste than ever before,” German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said. “For years, the quantities have been increasing, also in Germany. To improve waste prevention, we need far-reaching return and deposit systems for – wherever possible – all types of packaging.” 

Since 2022, there has been a mandatory deposit in Germany on nearly all single-use beverage bottles made of plastic. In addition, beverage cans are also subject to a deposit. The amendment to the country’s packaging act had above all brought to an end the numerous exemptions for certain drinks in plastic bottles and cans. For example, fruit juices mixed with carbonated mineral water were subject to a deposit, while non-carbonated fruit juices were not. 

A transitional period up until 2024 was provided for milk or milk products in plastic bottles, as containers for such products can, when returned, represent a special hygienic challenge. The previous federal government chose to grant a longer preparation period for the affected producers and sales outlets.

Market volume for beverages not subject to deposits in 2020, according to figures from the German Environment Ministry was 10.6 bn litres, with milk accounting for 40%, mixed milk drinks for 4.4%, and other milk-based drinks for 2.8%. Of the roughly 5 bn litres of milk products, just under 10% were packaged in plastic bottles. 

Milk and milk drinks are frequently offered in beverage cartons and other packages exempt from the deposit. This gap must be closed, according to German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH). “Through a deposit, around 2.3 billion beverage cartons that have until now been incinerated could find their way into recycling,” DUH managing director Barbara Metz said.