Your bottle mix
What this solves
Most visitors treat Pfand as a single number ("about €0.25 a bottle"). It is not. There are at least four distinct Pfand values in circulation in any given German city: €0.08 (small Mehrweg beer), €0.15 (1L NRW Mehrweg), €0.25 (most Einweg PET and cans), and €0.15-€0.30 on juice cartons depending on size. Knowing which is which is the difference between €2 back and €5 back.
The other half is where you can redeem. A bottle bought at a kiosk is often marked with a kiosk-specific EAN and is only refundable at the same kiosk chain. The bottle from the Volksfest stand at Oktoberfest is non-refundable — those glasses go in the bin or to a souvenir shelf. Get this wrong and you can lose €1.50-€2.00 per day without realising it.
How to read the result
- Total Pfand = the maximum refund if you returned every bottle at the right machine.
- At supermarket = what you actually get back at any REWE, EDEKA, Lidl, Aldi, Netto or Penny reverse-vending machine (Leergutautomat). This excludes kiosk-only bottles.
- Lost = kiosk-only bottles that you won't find a kiosk return for, plus sparkling wine/wine bottles which carry no deposit. This is the amount you leave on the table.
- Where to return: Any supermarket Leergutautomat (Pfandbon is then redeemable at checkout). Kiosk bottles only at Späti / Trinkgut / similar.
- Where you lose it: Beer gardens, festivals (except those that use system-glasses with a separate cup-Pfand), public events with deposit-free glasses.
Limitations
- Some juice cartons carry €0.15 (smaller 0.2L) vs €0.25 (1L). Default assumes 1L — adjust the count if your ratio is mostly small cartons.
- Mineral water Mehrweg from regional springs (Volvic, Gerolsteiner, Teinach) is €0.25 on the 1L — not €0.15. We default to €0.25.
- Sparkling wine bottles (Sekt, Prosecco, Crémant) carry no Pfand, even though the deposit system covers still wine and beer. This page assumes zero — correct.
- Liquor bottles (Spirituosen) below 0.2L also have no Pfand. 0.2L+ usually has €0.08-€0.25 depending on material.
- Kiosk chains may have agreed reciprocal returns (e.g., Trinkgut accepts kiosk bottles). Check before throwing away.
- Festival deposit-glasses (Oktoberfest Maßkrug, Weihnachtsmarkt Glühwein-Tasse) carry €1-€3.50 cup deposit — separate system, not counted here.
- Reverse machines reject damaged, dirty or crushed bottles silently. One rejected bottle costs you €0.25.
FAQ
Is a wine bottle Pfand?
No. Wine, sparkling wine (Sekt) and most spirits bottles carry no deposit. You can recycle them at the Glascontainer (sort by colour: white, green, brown), but you get no cash back. The Pfandgesetz only covers single-use drink packaging (Einweg) and reusable (Mehrweg) drink containers of certain sizes.
Can I return kiosk bottles at REWE?
Usually no. Kiosk PET bottles carry an EAN prefix reserved for the kiosk channel. The Leergutautomat at REWE will reject them. Return kiosk bottles to the kiosk (Späti, Trinkgut) where you bought them. Some Trinkgut locations accept non-kiosk bottles at a discount rate.
What about festival cups and Weihnachtsmarkt mugs?
Festival deposit glasses (Oktoberfest Maßkrug €1, Weihnachtsmarkt Glühwein-Tasse €2-€3.50) carry their own cup-Pfand. Return at the festival's Pfand-station to get your deposit back. They do not work in supermarket machines.
How do I get my money out of the machine?
The machine prints a Pfandbon (deposit receipt) with the total. Take it to the cashier, hand it over with your groceries, and the value is deducted from your bill or paid out in cash. Some markets also have a "cash payout" option that prints a barcode you scan at self-checkout.
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Sources
- Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG) · official deposit values 2026
- Verpackungsgesetz (VerpackG) § 31, 32 — minimum Pfand levels by container type
- Bundesministerium für Umwelt (BMU) · Einweg / Mehrweg quotas
- Stiftung Warentest · Pfandautomat acceptance test 2025
- Verbraucherzentrale · Pfandflaschen-Rückgabe guide
About this tool
This calculator applies 2026 regulated Pfand values per bottle type to your mix. It models the supermarket-eligible vs kiosk-only vs no-Pfand split so you know what to expect at the Leergutautomat. Reference-only: confirm the exact deposit printed on the bottle label.
Privacy
No cookies, no analytics, no data leaves your browser. All math runs client-side. See full Privacy Policy.
Disclaimer
Deposit values reflect 2026 published DPG rates. Regional kiosk agreements may allow cross-channel returns. Always check the deposit label on the bottle itself.