ALDI has become a powerhouse in Hungary’s new deposit-return system, operating over 300 bottle return vending machines across its 187 nationwide stores. Since the scheme’s launch, customers have returned 333 million single-use beverage containers, with nearly a quarter-billion (250 million) recovered in 2025 alone.
High-capacity built-in machines grace 86 stores for fast, convenient drop-offs. Daily averages hit 3,500 returns per store, spiking to 11,000 on peak days. Plastic and aluminium bottles dominate at over 90% of volumes, followed by glass.
Shoppers overwhelmingly opt for store vouchers (80% of payouts), with 20% choosing bank transfers and donations holding steady. The system’s in-store convenience, no separate trips, drives uptake, turning ALDI into a recycling hub.
Hungary’s deposit return system (DRS) has reached a historic milestone in 2025, as consumers returned more than 3 billion beverage containers, including plastic bottles, metal cans and glass packaging.
