Survey: Deposit Requirement Changes Our Buying Behavior

The survey was conducted by the market research institute YouGov. At the same time, the return system is generally viewed positively by respondents: 70 percent are favorable towards the deposit model, and about half have already returned deposit bottles.

Shift in Consumption Due to Deposit Requirement

Since January 1, 2025, a deposit of 25 cents applies in Austria to single-use plastic beverage bottles and aluminum cans with a volume between 0.1 and three liters. The deposit is only refunded for undamaged, labeled containers. Excluded from the system are, among others, beverage cartons, dairy products, and syrup.

The survey shows: The organizational effort, especially the storage of empty packaging at home, poses a challenge for many. "The fact that many consumers consciously switch to non-deposit products is a clear sign of how directly the new deposit system influences purchasing behavior," says beverage expert Katrin Amlacher from YouGov.

Long-term Study on Deposit Impact

YouGov plans to study consumer behavior related to the single-use deposit in three waves throughout the year. Each time, 1,000 people will be surveyed in March, July, and October. The goal is to document long-term trends in dealing with single-use packaging and to continuously capture the public opinion.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.