Poland DRS launches
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From 1 October, 2025, the deposit-refund system will come into force in Poland. The Ministry of Climate and Environment is working on an amendment to the Act passed in July 2023. The amendments introduced are intended to specify the provisions on the issuing, revocation and amendment of the authorisation of a deposit-refund system. The draft also takes into account industry proposals related, among others, to linking the deposit with the packaging through the entire sales chain, the exclusion of dairy packaging or the introduction of a harmonised labelling system.
The deposit-refund system is a mechanism to promote the recycling and reuse of packaging. It will be created by entrepreneurs marketing beverages in packaging covered by the deposit-refund system through a representative entity and shops where such products are offered. Traders introducing beverages in packaging covered by the system will be required to display a label on such packaging indicating that the packaging is covered by the deposit-refund system and specifying the amount of the deposit. Reusable beverage packaging will be covered by the system: PET bottles up to 3 litres, metal cans up to 1 litre and reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 litres. The amount of the deposit is defined in the regulation: 50 groszy for PET bottles and cans, 1 zł for glass bottles.
Operating principles of the system
- A deposit will be charged to the customer when purchasing a beverage in a package with a logo – the deposit will only be added to the price of the beverages at the cash desk.
- All retail outlets, irrespective of their area, if they offer beverages in packaging covered by the system, will charge a deposit – the business profile of the shop concerned does not matter, only the products offered are important.
- Packaging covered by the system will be appropriately labelled, with the deposit-refund system logo – it will not be possible to collect deposits for packaging without logos.
- The deposit will be available for collection when the packaging is returned – when returning packaging, no receipt will be required to retrieve the deposit.
- Packaging can be returned at any collection point – the obligation to collect the packaging covered by the system is imposed on shops over 200m2 and small shops under 200m2 can voluntarily join the system – packaging should not be crushed before being taken to a collection point.
- It will also be possible to create collection points for empty packaging outside retail outlets.
Benefits of the system are set to include:
- Reducing environmental pollution from packaging waste.
- Increasing the level of selective collection of packaging waste.
- Increasing recycling rates for packaging waste.
- Creating positive habits regarding waste segregation.
The basis for the introduction of the deposit-refund system in Poland was Directive 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (the so-called SUP Directive). It imposed the obligation on Member States to ensure selective collection for recycling purposes.
Entrepreneurs placing packaged beverages on the market will be required to achieve certain levels of selective collection of packaging and packaging waste under the system (77% from 2025 and 90% from 2029). In addition, for single-use plastic bottles, they will be obliged to ensure that these packages, including their caps and lids, contain a proportion by weight of at least: from 2025 – 25% of recycled plastics and from 2030 – 30% of recycled plastics.
In accordance with the principle of extended producer responsibility, entities introducing beverages in containers covered by the deposit-refund system will finance the deposit-refund system. Entities introducing beverages will bear the costs associated with, among other things, the collection, acceptance and transport of packaging and waste, or keeping records and accounting for deposits.
The system will additionally be funded from the unreturned deposits and from the sale of recycled materials. The act of law allows several deposit-refund system operators to operate in the market.
For any questions regarding the new deposit-refund system, see gov.pl/web/climate/deposit-refund-system-in-poland.
