Bottle deposit (Pfand) in Berlin: amounts and refunds

The bottle deposit (Pfand) in Berlin is 25 cents for a plastic bottle or can and 8 to 15 cents for a reusable glass bottle: it is added to the displayed price and you get it back by returning the empty container to a supermarket, where a machine prints a voucher to deduct at the till. Almost all of Germany works this way, and in Berlin, residents collect containers left on the ground to return them. This guide explains the amounts, the logos to look for, how to use the machine and what to do with a bottle you do not want to carry. For the rest of the budget, see our guide to the cost of a trip to Berlin. Rules checked in October 2026.

The rule in brief

In Germany, most drinks in plastic bottles, cans or reusable glass bottles carry a deposit. The deposit is paid at purchase, on top of the price of the drink, and returned when the container comes back. Single-use glass bottles of wine and spirits are not covered.

The amounts

A Späti shop in Charlottenburg, where drinks carry a deposit

25 cents: all single-use plastic bottles and all cans. The deposit is a fixed amount set by law.
8 cents: reusable glass beer bottles.
15 cents: most other reusable bottles (water, juice, soft drinks). Some reusable bottles cost more, because the amount is set by the producer.

The receipt shows the deposit on a separate line. Single-use containers carry a deposit (Pfand) logo, such as that of Deutsche Pfandsystem.

Getting your money back

Shops that sell single-use containers are required to take them back. In a small shop under 200 m², the obligation covers only the brands sold on the premises. In practice:

Bring empty, intact bottles and cans to a supermarket.
Feed them one by one into the machine (Pfandautomat), near the entrance.
Press the finish button: the machine prints a voucher (Pfandbon).
Hand the voucher in at the till: it is deducted from your shopping.

A voucher stays valid for three years from the end of the year it was printed. Reusable glass bottles may be refused by a shop that does not sell the same brand.

If you do not want to carry them

A traveller has no obligation to return containers. The Berlin custom is to put bottles and cans next to bins rather than in them: people who top up their income with deposits pick them up. If you bought drinks at a Späti and are leaving, this is the simplest solution.

Summary table

Container	Deposit
Single-use plastic bottle	25 cents
Can	25 cents
Reusable glass beer bottle	8 cents
Other reusable bottle	Usually 15 cents
Glass bottle of wine or spirits	No deposit

Rules checked in October 2026 with the Federal Ministry for the Environment (bundesumweltministerium.de) and consumer advice centres (verbraucherzentrale.de).

Going further

Payment methods and tipping are detailed in our guide to paying in Berlin. For drinks in the street, see drinking in the street in Berlin, and for the city's customs as a whole, rules and etiquette in Berlin.