Consumers pay a small deposit when buying bottles or cans, refunded upon return. DRS encourages recycling by assigning value to containers, reducing litter, and enabling material recirculation.
DRS boosts recycling dramatically—from 40–60% elsewhere to over 90–98%. Germany, Norway, and Lithuania achieved 97% return rates within years of implementation
DRS cuts litter by 70–80%, reduces carbon emissions massively, and lowers municipal cleanup costs. Scotland expects a 90% return and nearly 4 million tonnes CO₂ savings over 25 years.
Over 350 million people now have access to DRS globally. Ireland recycled 1.6 billion containers last year; the Netherlands’ “Statiegeld” shops helped cut litter by 69%.