A method and a device for detecting containers, e.g. bottles of glass or plastics, or cans made of metal, wood, glass or plastics, which for recycling of materials thereof or reuse thereof are moved in a lying posture and with their axis parallel to direction of transport into or past a detection zone associated with a detector station containing a video camera, a video image analysis of the container being carried out by a video image analyser, and said detector station having an entrance and an exit. There is analysed a sequence of video images of the container whilst it is moved into or past the detection zone of the video camera, and it is determined position and movement of the container in a viewing region of the video camera on the basis of continuous detection of position and movement of the container in the video image. Further, there is determined direction of movement of the container relative to the detector station, thus either causing an alarm if the container is moved from a position downstream of the detector station exit to a position in the detector sector or zone, or causing no movement direction alarm if the container is moved from a position upstream of the detector station entrance and into the detection zone.