Deputy Minister of Climate Anita Sowińska announced in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that she will take the initiative to include disposable glass packaging in the deposit-refund system. Such bottles were not added to the system during the legislative amendment process, which postponed its launch to October 1st of this year.
Under current regulations, a deposit-refund system will be launched in Poland on October 1st. Large stores, with an area exceeding 200 square meters, will be required to collect empty packaging and refund customers a deposit. Smaller stores, however, will charge a deposit, but participation in the collection system will be voluntary. The system will cover three types of packaging: plastic bottles up to 3 liters, metal cans up to 1 liter, and – from January 1st, 2026 – reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 liters.
Therefore, the deposit system will not apply to single-use glass bottles, and no deposit will be charged for them. Whether a given bottle is single-use or reusable is determined by the beverage manufacturer.
“It is not excluded that in the future we will include single-use glass, and I will definitely take up such an initiative. However, this does not mean that it will be accepted, because it must be subject to consultations,” Sowińska told PAP.
As the deputy head of the Ministry of Climate and Environment recalled, during the work on the deposit-refund system bill, even before it was signed by the president in 2023, there were calls – primarily from small shops – to exclude disposable glass from the system. Shops explained at the time that they would be unable to logistically manage the collection of such packaging under the deposit-refund system. Hence, these bottles are not included in the deposit-refund system.
When asked whether adding disposable glass to the deposit system would require another amendment to the Act on Packaging and Packaging Waste, the Deputy Minister stated that this issue was currently being analyzed.
“It is not excluded that the operators (of the deposit system – PAP) may simply do it,” she added.
Disposable glass bottles were not added to the deposit system law even during the 2024 amendment process, after the change of government . Paweł Marciniak from the Department of Education and Communication at the Ministry of Culture and Environment explained to PAP that the issue was raised during the amendment process, but was met with the same opinion from retailers.
“What I would definitely like to do is strengthen reusable glass and strive for standardization of packaging,” Anita Sowińska said in an interview with PAP.
The Ministry of Culture and Environmental Protection explains on its website that “reusable glass packaging is a key element in advancing the transition to a circular economy.” It adds that there is a need for actions to popularize the use of this type of packaging.
According to the ministry, one returnable glass bottle can replace approximately 20 single-use bottles. The ministry also reports that in Germany, a glass bottle is returned to circulation an average of 45 times, and in Finland, it is refilled an average of 33 times before being recycled.
The deposit for plastic bottles and metal cans will be 50 groszy each, and for reusable glass bottles, it will be 1 złoty. Milk, yogurt, or other drinkable dairy product containers will not be covered by the deposit system. These were excluded from the system following industry appeals as part of the 2024 amendment to the law.
The aim of the deposit system is to reduce the amount of mixed municipal waste collected by municipalities and increase recycling rates.
A deposit will be collected for every beverage introduced to the market in packaging covered by this system. This deposit will also be refunded to the end user through the system, without the need to present a receipt. Bottles and cans can be returned to machines located, for example, in front of or inside stores, or through manual collection. Packaging must be empty, not crushed, and must have a legible barcode on the label.
Unclaimed deposits will be used to finance the deposit system. The deposit is intended to encourage the return of packaging and increase the amount of reused and recycled raw materials used to produce packaging.
Work on the deposit law took several years. The regulations were finally adopted by Parliament and signed by the President in 2023. However, some industry stakeholders in the deposit system pointed out that the regulations contained loopholes and required supplementation of key elements. After the parliamentary elections, the new leadership of the Ministry of Climate and Environment undertook to amend the law.
Bartłomiej P. Pawlak (PAP)
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