Inside: Exploring Deposit Return Systems
Film series taking you behind the scenes of deposit systems across Europe.
Produced by Reloop in collaboration with Marine Conservation Society UK (MCS UK) and the European Alliance for Best-in-Class Deposit Return Systems
Deposit return systems are transforming the way countries collect and recycle beverage containers, helping to reduce litter, improve resource efficiency and support the transition to a circular economy.
While the principles behind these systems are often similar, every scheme reflects its own policy choices, infrastructure, market conditions and consumer behaviours.
Inside is a Reloop film series that takes viewers behind the scenes of deposit return systems across Europe. Through visits to Austria, Denmark, Latvia and Slovakia, we explore how different schemes operate in practice, meeting the organisations and people responsible for delivering them. Whether long-established or recently launched, each system offers valuable insights for policymakers, producers, retailers and anyone interested in the future of circular packaging systems.
Inside Austria’s Deposit Return System
Austria’s mandatory single-use deposit return system started on 1 January 2025, and within its first year reached a 81.5% collection rate, with around 1.4 billion containers collected.
Inside Slovakia’s Deposit Return System
Slovakia’s Deposit Return System (DRS) for single-use beverage containers officially launched on January 1, 2022.
Inside Demark’s Deposit Return System
Joint film from Marine Conservation Society and Reloop on their field trip to Denmark to learn about their deposit return system and the city-wide REUSABLE cup systems in Aarhus.
Inside Latvia’s Deposit Return System
Joint film from Marine Conservation Society and Reloop on their field trip to Latvia to learn about their deposit return system and the positive impact it is having on their beaches.
For a UK perspective, explore our companion film, Deposit Return Systems: A UK Perspective.