Nearly All Returned Plastic Bottles in Denmark Now Keep Their Caps

Almost all returned plastic deposit bottles in Denmark now retain their caps. Official recycling statistics released on August 18 show a compliance rate of 99.73 percent. This change directly impacts residents using local supermarket Pant deposit machines. Returning bottles with caps attached ensures smoother recycling across Denmark.

The new figures show a significant increase over previous recycling years. Cap retention rose by 9.73 percentage points compared to the previous period. This represents nearly 56 million more caps attached in 2025 than in 2024. The shift follows the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive from July 3, 2024. That rule requires single-use plastic bottles and cartons to have tethered caps. The Copenhagen Post reported these latest national figures.