§29 Minimum requirements for existing Deposit and Return Systems (DRS)

Legal provisions: According to Article 50(11) of the PPWR, Member States shall by 1 January 2029, ensure that at least the DRS for single use plastic beverage bottles and single use metal beverage containers meet the minimum requirements listed in Annex X. Article 50(11) also states that the minimum requirements listed in Annex X shall not apply to DRS established before the entry into force of PPWR, and which achieve the 90 % targets set out in Article 50(1) by 1 January 2029. Member States shall, however, endeavour to ensure that existing DRS comply with the minimum requirements in Annex X, when they are first reviewed. If the 90 % target is not achieved by 1 January 2029, existing single-use DRS shall comply with the minimum requirements in Annex X at the latest by 1 January 2035. Recital (145) explains that the minimum requirements in Annex X will help deliver greater consistency and higher return rates across Member States. They have been set based on stakeholder views, expert analysis and best practices from the existing deposit and return systems. Commission’s interpretation: A review of an existing DRS should be understood as any regulative action established through legislation, imposing a substantial change to the DRS. The minimum requirements can help strengthen the environmental performance of the DRS, notably the collection rate. Before 1 January 2029, Member States shall consider if the DRS can be expected to fulfil the 90 % separate collections targets set in Article 50(2) when they perform a review of the DRS. If the DRS achieves separate collection rates of at least 90 % it does not have to comply with the minimum requirements. However, if it does not, the Member State should consider ensuring that the DRS complies with the minimum requirements in Annex X. After 1 January 2029, a DRS for single use beverage packaging that does not fulfil the separate collection obligations must comply with the minimum requirements by 1 January 2035.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07