Pant, Denmark's bottle deposit system
What pant is
When you buy bottled or canned drinks in Denmark, a deposit called pant is added, roughly 1 to 3 DKK depending on the container. You reclaim it by returning the empties. It is a national system run by Dansk Retursystem, and returning your pant is almost a Danish rite of passage.
How to return bottles and cans
Take your empties to a pantautomat (reverse-vending machine) found in nearly 3,000 supermarkets. Feed each bottle or can in, the machine reads the deposit mark and shape, and when you finish it prints a voucher. Use the voucher against your shopping at the till, or choose cash. At large recycling-centre machines you may need the Dansk Retursystem app to get the refund to your bank account, but the small supermarket machines do not need it.
Reading the deposit mark
Look for the deposit logo (two arrows in a circle with a letter). The letter, A, B or C, tells you the deposit level, so you know how much you will get back. A is the smallest deposit, C the largest.
Common questions
How much is pant in Denmark?
Between 1 and 3 DKK per container, shown by the A/B/C letter on the deposit mark.
Where do I return bottles for pant?
At reverse-vending machines (pantautomat) in almost any supermarket. It prints a voucher for your shopping or cash.
Do I need an app for pant?
Not at supermarket machines. Only large recycling-centre depots require the Dansk Retursystem app.