MOHU: people in Hungary returned more than 3 billion beverage packaging in 2025

They noted that before the launch of MOHU’s REpont system, only a fraction of beverage packaging was recycled; most ended up in mixed municipal waste, or, in the worst cases, dumped in the environment. Thanks to the REpont system, however, these containers are returned to the circular economy and can be turned back into bottles. Last year, consumers could already encounter bottles made from material recovered via REpont reverse vending machines.

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The statement quoted Csaba Bozóki, Director of Institutional Waste Management at MOHU, who said this is a major environmental achievement. Every year, it prevents billions of bottles, cans and glass containers from becoming litter or waste. The valuable raw material, thanks to the REpont system, is counted, sorted and ready for recycling.

The data show that people typically consume the most beverages during summer heatwaves or around major holidays, and that the most containers are returned in holiday areas, in the capital, and in larger cities. On average, one consumer returned 23 containers per transaction at the machines—up by five compared with the 2024 average. The annual per-capita average of returned containers rose to 310, a significant increase from 101 in 2024.

They also said that in 2025 the number of returned plastic bottles exceeded 1.5 billion, metal cans reached 1.3 billion, and glass totalled more than 200 million. Return activity was strongest in summer, especially in July and August, while February was the quietest period of the year. The number of return points expanded by nearly 20%, meaning returns are now possible at around 5,200 locations nationwide.

By the end of 2025, the system listed 32,700 registered returnable products from the portfolios of 934 companies. Of the registered products, 92% were single-use beverage packaging, while 8% were multi-use, refillable bottles, MOHU said.