Take back free of charge all reusable packaging of the same type, form and size you made available, at or close to the point of handover, and fully redeem or notify the associated deposit.
Final distributors subject to the beverage re-use target must comply, and this is law in force.
Why it matters
This is law in force, not a proposal.
- It is Art. 29(9), in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. as of 2026-08-18
- The act gives its timing as: From 1 January 2030 (Art. 29(6)). as of 2026-08-18
- It names one industry by name: Retail. as of 2026-08-18
- Compliance is checked by none, continuous. as of 2026-08-18
What changes
Grocery retail. Take-back requires physical space, handling and deposit reconciliation at every store, and it survives the target exemptions.
The rule
a consumer returning reusable beverage packaging
Take back free of charge all reusable packaging of the same type, form and size you made available, at or close to the point of handover, and fully redeem or notify the associated deposit.
Who is affected
Burden drivers
Applies even to distributors exempted from the target itself: Art. 29(11) requires an exempted distributor that nonetheless sells in reusable packaging to arrange take-back under this paragraph.
Source text
Final distributors as referred to in paragraph 6 shall take back, free of charge, all reusable packaging of the same type, form and size as the packaging made available on the market by them, within that specific re-use system at the point of sale, ensuring the recovery and return of such packaging through the entire distribution chain. Final distributors shall ensure that end users are able to return the packaging at the location where the actual handover of such packaging takes place or in close proximity thereto. The final distributor shall fully redeem associated deposits or notify the return of the packaging according to the governance rules of the specific re-use system in order that any associated deposits be redeemed, as the case may be.
View source →