Plastic Pollution: A Coalition Against the Introduction of a Deposit Return System in Austria

Plastic pollution represents a major problem for the environment and has enormous negative impacts on the oceans, rivers and other ecosystems. Austria is no exception; 1.6 billion plastic bottles are placed on the market every year, which equals to 181 plastic bottles per Austrian.1 In terms of volume, PET bottles are responsible for the largest proportion of littered items frequently found in Austria’s natural environment.

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Climate Action and Environment is currently considering introducing a deposit return system (DRS) to achieve the new targets set out in the European Union’s (EU) Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive to tackle plastic. A government-commissioned study recently confirmed that a DRS not only achieves the highest collection rate for plastic bottles but is also the most cost-effective option, ensures the best material quality for subsequent recycling and has the strongest anti-littering effect.

Link to the Plastic Pollution: A Coalition Against the Introduction of a Deposit Return System in Austria