Order No. 606 on deposits on and collection, etc. of packaging for certain beverages.

This Order regulates Denmark’s deposit and return system for packaging for certain beverages, administered in practice through Dansk Retursystem A/S. It applies to packaging under 20 litres for beverages including beer, carbonated and non-carbonated water and soft drinks, spirit-based and fermented mixed drinks with an alcohol content of 10 percent or less, fruit and vegetable juices, and certain concentrated cordial products, while excluding items such as kegs, cartons, transport packaging and some large containers. It requires anyone marketing covered beverage packaging in Denmark to charge a deposit, sets deposit rates according to packaging type and size, and requires relevant packaging to be taken back and the deposit refunded when returned. It also distinguishes between refillable packaging and single-use packaging, requiring refillable packaging to be part of a return scheme for reuse, while Dansk Retursystem A/S must ensure recycling of collected single-use packaging.
The Order sets detailed rules on registration of producers, importers, intermediaries, shops, festivals and packaging types with Dansk Retursystem A/S; security for payment of deposits and fees; approval of packaging as refillable or single-use; deposit marking, EAN barcodes, GTINs and deposit labels; reporting of marketed packaging; collection and counting of returned packaging; payment of deposits, operating fees and handling compensation; and the accounting, auditing and supervision of Dansk Retursystem A/S. It also regulates data flows from reverse vending machines and collection systems, oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency and tax authorities, self-monitoring, publication duties, authorised representatives, complaints against decisions of Dansk Retursystem A/S, dispensations, and penalties for breaches, including possible imprisonment for up to two years in serious intentional or grossly negligent cases involving environmental harm or economic gain.