Do I get a deposit back on cans and bottles in Belgium?
On refillable glass yes, on cans and PET bottles still not. Return refillable glass bottles (beer crates, deposit bottles of water or soft drinks) to the shop and the classic deposit — typically €0.10 to €0.50 per bottle or crate — is simply refunded. For cans and plastic bottles Belgium in 2026 has no deposit-return system: the introduction targeted around 2026 is politically stuck — industry pushed a digital deposit that evaluation found too fraud-prone, and the Flemish governing parties can't agree, while the EU (packaging regulation, 90 percent separate collection) raises the pressure and the Brussels region wants to move ahead. Until a system stands, cans and PET stay in the blue PMD bag — and the litter debate in parliament.
📋 The rules
- Refillable glass: deposit refunded on return (bottle ±€0.10–0.25, crate ±€1.50–5)
- Cans & PET: no deposit — they go in the blue PMD bag
- Digital deposit: evaluated and found too fraud-prone
- EU packaging rules demand 90 % separate collection of bottles/cans by 2029
- Shops selling refillable bottles must also take them back
🔓 Exceptions
- Some farm vending machines, breweries and organic shops run their own (higher) deposit amounts
- The Netherlands and Germany do deposit cans and PET — Belgian cans without the local logo earn no refund there
- Shops that sell reusable bottles must also take them back and pay out the deposit
⚠️ Penalties & fines
As a consumer you risk nothing here: the absence of a deposit on cans and PET is a system failure, not an offence of yours. What does still apply: tossing a can in the street or dumping it beside a container is fly-tipping, punished with GAS fines of up to 350 euros. Nor should you count on cashing in Belgian cans across the border — those systems only recognize packaging carrying their own deposit logo. The real cost is everyday: for your cans and PET bottles you get nothing back in Belgium, and they simply go in the blue PMD bag.
📎 Official sources
- VRT NWS · Can-collection law in force, Flemish government split (NL) →
- Flemish Parliament · Will the deposit system come? (NL) →
- Deposit Alliance · Classic or digital deposit? (NL) →
❓ Frequently asked
Why is there still no can deposit?
The decision is politically stuck: the digital scheme pushed by industry was judged too vulnerable to fraud, and the Flemish majority cannot agree internally. Meanwhile the European 2029 collection deadline keeps coming closer.
How much do I get back for a crate of beer?
The classic deposit: typically around 0.10 euro per bottle and a few euros for the empty crate. The exact amount is printed on your receipt and depends on the brewer and the crate format.
Must the shop take back my empty bottles?
Yes. A shop that sells reusable bottles must take them back and pay out the deposit. For cans and PET bottles no such duty exists, simply because there is no deposit on them; they go in the blue PMD bag instead.
Can I return Belgian cans in the Netherlands?
No. The Dutch system only recognizes packaging carrying the Dutch deposit logo. A Belgian can without that logo earns no refund there, however identical the can may look. And since Belgium has no can deposit, there is nothing to reclaim here either.
Will it ever happen?
The pressure is high: Europe demands 90 percent separate collection by 2029 and Brussels wants to move ahead as a region. Some form of deposit remains the likeliest outcome; only the date stays politically uncertain.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can deposit belgium when”
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- “shop takes back empty bottles”