Daily Life
Pant, the bottle deposit, your money back in the machine
The one-line versionYou pay a deposit (pant) on most drink bottles and cans - DKK 1 to 3 - and get it back by feeding the empties into a reverse-vending machine at any supermarket. It is not a tax; it is your money, so reclaim it.
The three deposit levels (2026)
| Mark | Deposit | What |
|---|---|---|
| Pant A | DKK 1.00 | Glass bottles and aluminium cans under 1 litre |
| Pant B | DKK 1.50 | Plastic bottles under 1 litre |
| Pant C | DKK 3.00 | All bottles and cans 1-20 litres |
The deposit is built into the shelf price of marked drinks; you get it back when you return the empty. Only single-use containers carry a pant mark - refillable bottles (like the classic green beer bottle) work differently.
How to return them
- Take empties to a reverse-vending machine (flaskeautomat) at any supermarket.
- Feed them in; the machine reads the pant mark and prints a voucher.
- Redeem the voucher against your shop, or as cash at the till.
It's your money, not a green taxPant is a refundable deposit, not a charge - so returning empties is simply reclaiming what you paid. Danes rarely bin marked bottles; if you do not want the hassle, leaving them by public bins for others to collect is a common courtesy.
Keep a pant bag by the doorStash empties in a dedicated bag and return them on your normal shop - it turns loose change back into grocery money and keeps the recycling effortless. Machines occasionally reject crushed or unlabelled containers, so keep them intact.
Common questions
How much is the deposit?
DKK 1 (Pant A), DKK 1.50 (Pant B) or DKK 3 (Pant C) depending on material and size. It is added to the price and refunded on return.
Where do I return bottles?
At reverse-vending machines in supermarkets. You get a voucher to spend in the shop or take as cash.
Is pant a tax?
No - it is a refundable deposit. Returning your empties gets your own money back, which is why Danes reliably do it.
Verified July 2026 against official sources: rejsekort.dk, rejsebillet.dk, danskretursystem.dk (deposit system), the Danish Road Traffic Authority and lifeindenmark.borger.dk. Fares, fees and deposit amounts are 2026 levels and change - always check the official apps and sites. General information, not legal advice.