Unlocking Circularity: Insights from high-performing deposit return systems
Those outcomes don’t happen by accident. They are shaped by system design choices. Choices like the deposit level, the redemption system (return points and redemption centers), clear roles and financing, and the controls that keep the system trusted.
Unlocking Circularity is an updated edition of our 2021 white paper. It contains the five design principles, and adds new data, updated figures, and fresh examples from high-performing deposit return systems around the world, reflecting how policy and system learnings have progressed since 2021.
What you’ll get
- A practical guide to deposit return scheme design:
- The five principles behind high-performing deposit return systems
- The 14 design elements that sit underneath those principles
- Updated policy context (including how deposit legislation is evolving) E
- Examples and performance lessons from mature schemes, including in the United States (“bottle bills”) and Europe
- A clearer view of what drives high return rates, material quality, and long-term performance
The five principles behind high-performing deposit return systems
High-performing deposit return schemes (DRS) tend to share five principles:
1) Circularity
Design for outcomes that support closed-loop recycling and real recycled content.
2) Performance
Set clear targets and build the system to deliver them consistently.
3) Convenience
Make returning easy and predictable for consumers and retailers.
4) Producer responsibility
Use extended producer responsibility financing and clear rules so the system is funded and stable.
5) System integrity
Protect the scheme with fraud controls, reporting, and enforcement so trust stays high.
What’s new
This edition builds on the same foundation and updates the evidence.
What’s been refreshed since 2021:
- New data points and updated figures from high-performing systems
- New examples and lessons from systems that have launched, expanded, or optimized
- Updated policy landscape and what it signals for future DRS programs and packaging waste
Who it’s for
This white paper is for people working on:
- National or regional deposit legislation / deposit laws
- System design and operations (operators, retailers, producers, PROs)
- Packaging waste and recycling targets
- “Bottle bill” updates in the United States (and the practical mechanics behind them)
- Anyone interested in circular packaging
Download Unlocking Circularity (PDF) to get the five principles, the design elements, and the latest lessons from high-performing deposit return systems worldwide.
DRS White Paper infographics
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Deposit return system of the world and how they were introduced or updated
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Principles of a high performing DRS.
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Container return rates for best-practice return-to-retail models (2024)
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Comparing California’s redemption performance vs number of redemption locations
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How bag drop works
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Summary of projected savings for New York State from a modernized DRS with a 90 return rate
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Eco-modulated EPR fee structure for Norway’s Central System Administrator, Infinitum
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If we want to take circularity seriously, we need to take the right steps. Don't miss this publication.
Downloads
White paper: Advanced Mechanical Recycling
White paper: Extended Producer Responsibility
White paper Holistic Resource Systems
White paper Mixed Waste Sorting
