In Sweden, cans and bottles are returned by a deposit system. A small fee is paid when the beverage is bought and returned when the can or bottle is deposited. The solution saved 180 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions last year alone.
Since the deposit system was introduced in 1984, over 41 billion cans and bottles have been deposited and put back into the system. In total, that is 3,5 million tonnes of saved CO2 emissions.
Another record year
Last year, Swedes deposited 2,15 billion cans and bottles. Most likely, Sweden will beat the record this year, according to Returpack, the company responsible for the deposit system in Sweden. The increase has several explanations; Swedes’ consumption of beverage is going up, at the same time as the understanding of the positive effects for the climate is increasing. The pandemic is also believed to have affected the number of deposited cans and bottles. The consumed bottles at home are more likely to be deposited than the beverages on the go to and from work.
About Returpack
Returpack is responsible for the Swedish deposit systems for metal cans and recyclable PET bottles for ready to drink beverages.
The concept is that consumers pay a small fee when acquiring a metal can or a PET bottle with drink beverage, a fee that the consumers will get back when they return their containers in one of Returpack’s return machines.
Read more or get in touch with Returpack here.
