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In regular on-site gastronomic operations (e.g., restaurants, cafes, clubs, discos, bars), no deposit must be charged to the consumer. The rationale is that it’s a closed-loop system within the establishment.
[Exception: If cans are explicitly offered and sold for takeaway ("on-the-go"), an additional deposit fee of €0.25 must be charged.]
Tip: Include in the drinks menu: "Drinks must be consumed on-site."
Important:
Beverage purchases for the establishment always include a deposit fee of €0.25.
Thus, while deposit-packaged products may still be sold in closed on-site gastronomy, the deposit does not need to be collected or passed on to the consumer.
How can I, as a restaurant operator, get my deposit back?
The restaurant owner can return empty cans or bottle at return machines and receive a refund. The only requirement is that the EAN code on the empty cans/bottles must be readable.
To simplify the process, it’s recommended to register as a manual returner with EWP (Recycling Deposit Austria GmbH). EWP oversees all organizational aspects of the single-use deposit system.
Collection of the single-use deposit containers can be organized either directly through EWP Recycling Deposit Austria or through existing tariff partners (e.g. Transgourmet, Kastner, etc.). The returned packaging must be collected in special bags and sealed. Once 3 full bags (each bag holds about 150 empty containers) are collected, EWP can be called for pickup. Returns to a trusted tariff partner can occur once a single bag is full. The collection bags and seals are free and can be ordered via the EWP portal, and the pickup of full bags is also free of charge.
EWP has agreements with all major suppliers to ensure mandatory collection and pickup directly from the restaurant. In addition to the deposit refund, a handling fee of €0.0288 for plastic bottles and €0.0261 for metal cans is credited to the restaurant for manual returns. The deposit amount and handling fees are
credited twice a month via bank transfer.
[Note: For very large quantities (> 200,000 pieces), investing in a return machine might make sense. The cost is around €30,000.]
More information on handling fees can be found here:
EAN Code Readability:
In general, the readability of the EAN code on empty cans and bottles is a prerequisite for returns so that the €0.25 deposit per container can be refunded.
Experience from Germany shows that the loss due to unreadable EAN codes or hidden takeaways by consumers is less than 1%.
