Gabrielė Zabelskytė, Head of the “Maximos” Sustainability Department, says that the seasonality of reverse vending machines has been visible in the statistics for several years – in the summer months, on average, one third more packaging is returned than in other months of the year.
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“This summer, the amount of packaging returned to the reverse vending machines at our stores increased by about 7% compared to the same period last year. It is also interesting that the seasonality is visible not only by months but also by days of the week – residents return the most packaging on Sundays. It is likely that packaging accumulated during weekend trips or outdoor relaxation also arrives at the reverse vending machines at the end of the week,” says G. Zabelskytė.
This summer’s peak – July
According to “Maxima” data, the most active month this summer was July, when more than 34 million packages were delivered to the reverse vending machines at the network stores. About 30 million were returned in June, and about 33 million in August. For comparison, about 90 million were returned during all three summer months last year.
The growth is also recorded nationwide by the Public Institution “Deposit System Administrator” (USAD). According to the organization’s data, almost ten percent more deposit packages were returned in Lithuania this summer than during the same period last year.
“Summer is one of the seasons that collects the most packaging. This year’s results show that residents are returning deposit packages even more actively, and the growing collection volume means more packages that can be returned to the market as raw materials,” says USAD Customer Service Manager Kristina Archipovaitė-Sirotkienė.
According to the Head of the “Maxima” Sustainability Department, these numbers show that returning packaging has become a regular part of everyday life for residents.
Deposit increasingly transferred to the “Ačiū” card or donated
Not only the quantities of returned packaging are changing, but also how buyers choose to use the deposit refunded for the packages. According to “Maxima” data, comparing the same January–August period, the share of reverse vending machine receipt values transferred to the “Ačiū” card is steadily growing: in 2024 it was 14%, in 2025 – 17%, and this year – already 20%.
After returning deposit packages, another option is to donate the refunded amount. According to K. Archipovaitė-Sirotkienė, residents are increasingly using this option in USAD-supervised donation initiatives.
“Comparing the January–August periods of last year and this year, we see that the donated amounts are increasing, and residents are more often choosing to press the donation button. We see this in USAD-supervised donation initiatives dedicated to the “Blue/Yellow” and “Sengirės Fund”,” notes K. Archipovaitė-Sirotkienė.
Returned packaging becomes new raw material
Packaging that ends up in the reverse vending machine does not end its journey there. From the reverse vending machines and manual collection points, they go to the USAD counting center, where they are counted and sorted. Later, the packages are handed over to recyclers.
“Returned beverage packages become raw materials for new products – new packages, textile products, and other products can be made from them. This is how the circular economy principle practically works: used materials return to circulation and are used again,” explains K. Archipovaitė-Sirotkienė.
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