The so called "Normbrunnnenflasche" was introduced in 1969 by German mineral water bottling companies to have exactly this: [1] * Standardized size (holds 0,7

The so called "Normbrunnnenflasche" was introduced in 1969 by German mineral water bottling companies to have exactly this: [1] * Standardized size (holds 0,7 l) * Can withstand pressure, therefore suitable for sparkling water * Can be used roughly 50 times: the bottle develops a matte ring through repeated handling indicating the approximate number of refills * Any nearby retailer can take it back, and * Any nearby bottling company can then use it for their own beverages The important takeaway here is that it's REUSE, not RECYCLE, that might have the potential to reduce plastic production. Legally, producers and retailers (!) have to clearly indicate which beverage containers are reusable (Mehrweg) and which ones are single-use (Einweg). [2] This is a great example of nudging people into environmentally positive behavior. Single-use deposits are higher than reusable deposits. [1]: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normbrunnenflasche https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normbrunnenflasche [2]: https://www.volle-pulle-umweltschutz.de/ https://www.volle-pulle-umweltschutz.de/ by the BMU