ABSTRACT
In the 1970s, when the world experienced a rise in the number of one-way beverage containers in place of refillable bottles, Germany was quick to find a solution. The country's beverage container system involves both the use of refillable bottles and compulsory deposits on one-way containers, has successfully increased recycling and reduced waste while also creating more jobs. Germany's methods of bottle collection are by no means an old system. The first waste law in 1977 was designed to preserve the existing refilling systems; for fear that the industry would switch completely too one-way containers if the right infrastructure for the preservation of refillables were not put in place. When empty refillable bottles are returned by the customer to a retailer, they are then sent to the beverage manufacturer for washing and refilling, thus giving them a much lower carbon footprint than one-way bottles.
