Press Release 30th April 2025

Donate bottle deposits, help families: PENNY creates new donation opportunity for families in need

Return your bottle deposits and do something good. This is what will be possible starting May 8, 2025, in all PENNY stores across Austria. At the bottle deposit machines, customers will have the option to donate the refund value to the PENNY Family Relief Fund “Families in Need.” The donations will go directly without deduction to the Austrian Red Cross and will benefit families in need throughout Austria.

Two women in red uniforms standing outside a store, holding a sign that reads, "PENNY hilft Familien in Not in Österreich" with an image of a woman and child. They are next to a shopping cart filled with bottled water.

PENNY employee Milena Stevanovic and an employee of the Austrian Red Cross are delighted about many bottle deposit donations. / Copyright: © PENNY / Paul Breuss, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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At a glance

Starting May 8, 2025, customers can donate their deposits to the PENNY Family Relief Fund
Donation proceeds go directly to the Austrian Red Cross
Donations will be used for rent or energy costs, learning aids, food vouchers, and much more.

The PENNY Family Relief Fund was established in 2011 in collaboration with the Red Cross. The goal is to support families in financial distress—such as covering rent or energy cost arrears, purchasing urgently needed household appliances, learning aids, or food vouchers.

“With the bottle deposit donation, we are creating an additional way to help easily. Every contribution counts – and together we can make a difference,” says Kai Pataky, spokesman for the management of PENNY Austria.

In addition to the new bottle deposit donation option, PENNY already offers various ways to donate to the Family Relief Fund. Since the fund's inception, approximately 2.3 million euros have been collected, supporting more than 6,000 families and around 15,000 children. With the expansion of donation options to include bottle deposit donations, PENNY is further enhancing its social engagement – fostering more solidarity and tangible help in challenging times.