There will be more than 1,400 beverage packaging return machines in food stores

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 12. 28. 11:50

From the first of January, the mandatory deposit return system of the packaging of soft drinks and spirits – plastic, metal, glass bottles – in some shops; the food trading member companies of the National Trade Association (OKSZ) will operate around 1,400 vending machines in more than 1,100 stores – OKSZ recalled in a statement sent to MTI on Thursday.

The essence of the mandatory deposit return system is that it cannot be refilled at the manufacturing plants, therefore when selling single-use beverage bottles, if the manufacturer has already indicated this on the packaging, the merchants will be obliged to charge customers a HUF 50 redemption fee at the time of sale.

According to the announcement, the points of sale will be required to indicate the amount of the HUF 50 redemption fee in addition to the consumer price on the shelves, signs, flyers, and advertisements offering the drinks, but this must also appear on the receipt.

The deposit return system will be mandatory in food stores larger than 400 square meters, not in all other places selling drinks, but any store can join the system voluntarily. In these shops, the return is carried out by an automatic device that checks whether the discarded bottle can be returned, whether it is labeled correctly, and whether the bottle is not damaged.