Over 1.7 billion bottles and cans were deposited in 2020 into the Danish recycling system. In this video, I show you how the Danish bottle and can deposit return system (Pant) works. This is a sustainable way to ensure that drinks cans and bottles (plastic and glass) don’t end up in landfill. Germany also has a very similar system.

The UK government announced they would introduce a similar system, but it is not due to come into operation until 2024 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the earliest. Scotland plans to introduce the system this year. Denmark has run the system since 2002, as has Germany.

“Across the UK, consumers go through an estimated 13bn plastic drinks bottles. Only 7.5bn are recycled. The remaining 5.5bn are landfilled, littered or incinerated.”

Read more about the system in Denmark here