The deposit system introduced in October 2025 provides that for drinks in plastic bottles (up to 3 l), metal cans (up to 1 l) and reusable glass bottles (up to 1.5 l), a deposit is added, which can be recovered after returning the packaging – 50 groszy for a plastic bottle and a can, PLN 1 in the case of reusable glass bottles.
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Will the deposit system be extended?
This is not the end of the list of packaging to be returned. The EU regulation states that milk packaging should be included in the deposit system by 2030.
“However, we have some doubts whether this will actually have a good environmental effect, that's why we will convince the European Union to withdraw from milk packaging in PPWR” – says Anita Sowińska, deputy minister of climate.
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In her opinion, collecting this type of packaging, e.g. under the existing deposit system, may pose a “sanitary challenge” and the environmental effect may be small, as such packaging usually does not pollute the environment.
When asked whether the government was considering including other packaging fractions in the deposit-refund system, the deputy head of the Ministry of Climate and Environment pointed out that the ministry has set itself a deadline until June to analyze how the deposit system works based on plastic bottles, metal cans and reusable glass bottles. Then a decision will be made on how the deposit system can be extended.
“In my opinion, we should also consider including single-use glass packaging, i.e. the popular monkeys, in the deposit systembut this requires consultation. Perhaps we should also look at other fractions, such as multi-material packaging,” she said.
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Anita Sowińska pointed out that when the ministry was preparing an amendment to the Act on the deposit system, producers of the so-called tetrapaks, i.e. multi-layer cardboard packaging, e.g. for juices, they wanted them to also be covered by the deposit systembut – as she noted – “we didn't want to do it at the very beginning of the system's operation.”
Deposit system – why?
The main goal of the deposit system is to increase the levels of separate collection of beverage packaging and achieve EU recycling thresholds. According to them, in the years 2025-2028, the level of selective waste collection is to reach 77%. in the case of single-use plastic bottles (up to 3 liters), metal cans (up to 1 liter) and reusable glass bottles (up to 1.5 liters). From 2029, this threshold will increase to 90%.
At the end of 2025, there were 250 million deposit packaging and 40,000 on the Polish market. collection points, of which 15 thousand operated small stores with a retail space of less than 200 square meters. There are also 50 entities selling drinks in deposit packaging, i.e. producers who have signed contracts with operators.
