Read about how to qualify for handling remuneration

The handling remuneration is paid as compensation for being obliged to take back, sort and get deposit marked bottles and cans ready for collection. 

Commercial enterprises that sell beverages on which deposits are payable and that are consumed elsewhere, such as in a public space or in a private home, may be paid handling remuneration. This also applies to intermediaries that stock a wide range of grocery lines, meaning that they operate in practice as a grocery shop. 

Enterprises such as office-based companies, hotels, restaurants, catering companies and similar businesses cannot be paid handling remuneration. They typically supply beverages to their customers, guests, staff and others who drink the products on the premises. They do not basically charge a deposit. Similarly, they are not required to take back other one-way bottles and cans apart from the ones sold and supplied. 

Intermediaries and distributors may only be paid handling remuneration if they operate as a shop. 

Registering for payment of the handling remuneration 

Everyone registered for the handling remuneration pays an annual administration fee of DKK 500. As a general rule, it will benefit you to register for the scheme if you take back 60–65 empty bottles daily. 

Payment every 2 weeks 

Dansk Retursystem pays the handling remuneration every 2 weeks based on the return figures we receive from the breweries and based on the numbers of collected and counted one-way bottles and cans. The remuneration you receive for each bottle or can depends on the technical equipment for handling the packaging you have in your shop. 

The more manual work required to handle the returns, the greater the handling remuneration. 

Checking how packaging is handled 

The statutory order, which lays down the rules for the deposit and return system, sets out a range of requirements for sorting refillable bottles and getting one-way packaging ready for collection. 

A shop can only be paid handling remuneration if it meets the sorting requirements and/or the requirements for getting equipment ready for collection. The payments may be temporarily suspended if too many mistakes in sorting and preparation are recorded. 

Consultants working for Dansk Retursystem carry out unannounced spot checks to ensure that the requirements are being fulfilled. 

A shop will receive a written warning if a consultant finds that bottles and/or cans are not being sorted or prepared correctly. The consultant will return to carry out a further unannounced inspection within 4 weeks. The payment of the handling remuneration will be suspended if handling mistakes continue to occur. The payment of the handling remuneration will only recommence once the consultant has established that handling is being carried out correctly following another unannounced inspection 4 weeks later. 

You will be sent a report in connection with the inspection visit.