compliance teamThe Austrian deposit system for online beverage sellers
Step 1
Identify deposit-bearing containers
Step 2
Register with the central body
Step 3
Report monthly and pay the contribution
Step 4
Keep the ordinary packaging file separate
| Control | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| Scope | Entity, product, channel, stream and source |
| External action | Version, date, authorised filer and issued receipt |
| Maintenance | Source data, approval, invoice and next deadline |
What is covered
Since 1 January 2025 a deposit of 25 cents applies to single-use beverage containers made of plastic or metal with a volume between 0.1 and 3 litres. Milk products, glass and beverage cartons are outside it.
Containers have to carry the national deposit marking, and imported containers without it require authorised stickers rather than an improvised label.
What distance sellers have to do
First placers, including foreign distance sellers, register with the central body, register their container types, submit an annual sales forecast and report monthly figures.
A seller delivering through a carrier is reported to be relieved of the physical take-back duty but to owe a per-container compensation contribution instead, currently 3.8 cents, reviewed annually. A seller with its own delivery service is treated differently.
How it interacts with the packaging file
Deposit-bearing containers are carved out of several packaging duties, including household system participation and the representative appointment, for those containers specifically.
Everything else — the outer carton, the filler, the tape — stays in the ordinary packaging file. Beverage sellers therefore run two parallel routes and should scope them explicitly rather than choosing one.
Conclusion
Scope comes before a form. Connect the legal entity, product, sales channel and EPR stream to the rule that actually applies.
Evidence must remain traceable. Keep source data, versions, approvals, filings, receipts and every record issued by an external body.
Third-party decisions are never guaranteed. The ministry, the coordination body, collection and recovery systems and marketplaces control their own procedures, timing and decisions.