• PokerChips@programming.dev
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    5 hours ago

    That"s not a scam. It’s a solution. Take care of your Earth.

    Unless the store is pocketing the money. I’m assuming the credit is going to a government program or non profit organization.

    • nshibj@lemmy.world
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      7 minutes ago

      Absolutely! Take care of your earth! But you don’t need to fine people for a loitering crime they haven’t committed. Not all bottles have Pfand in Germany: soft drinks? Yes, juice? No, beer? Yes, wine? No. It’s a hypocritical bullshit system.

    • SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de
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      5 hours ago

      I’m assuming the credit is going to a government program or non profit organization.

      Not really. It’s complicated.

      Basically all of the money is being shuffled between importers/manufacturers, stores and consumers.

      Germany has about 95-98% return rate for the bottles (mainly because it’s somewhat lucrative to collect them). So very little money is left over.

      There’s a company called DPG that is responsible to make sure that no part of the system is profiting of it unfairly

      Germany wikipedia (annoyingly only available in german) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfand_auf_Einweggetränkebehälter_in_Deutschland

      All in all, it’s a net benefit. I remember the time before this system, and you had drink cans littered around everywhere. Ever since the system is in place, I can count the amount of littered cans (e.g. cans that are too crushed to be returned) on maybe one hand