2026-03-18 16:38
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2026-03-18 16:38
About 60 percent bottles that went on sale in the first quarter of this year were returned to the system under the deposit mechanism, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment, announced on Wednesday in Rzeszów. She announced a meeting with operators to improve waste collection logistics.
During the press conference in Rzeszów, the minister emphasized that the first weeks of the system's operation had brought results exceeding the previous results of many years of selective collection for the so-called yellow containers.
— Generally, about 60 percent returned to the system in the second quarter. bottles that went on sale in the first quarter of this year. If we manage to achieve this level of performance in the first year, it will be a huge success. We can see with the naked eye that plastic is disappearing from our surroundings, said Hennig-Kloska.
According to the ministry, the main purpose of introducing the deposit is to protect health by eliminating plastic from the ecosystem. — We eliminate plastic from forests, fields, rivers and lakes where microplastics were formed (…). This is simply taking care of people's health and lives, she emphasized.
However, the head of the ministry admitted that the scale of packaging returns surprised the system operators, which is reflected, among others, in: overcrowded vending machines.
— This is a huge logistical change to which the economy and our habits are adapting. However, I prefer to see pictures of bottles lying in foil next to a bottle dispenser than plastic lying in a national park or a river. However, we have to deal with a logistical challenge: the vending machines must always be ready for collection, emphasized the minister.
Hennig-Kloska announced that she would meet with the operators of the deposit system at the turn of March and April. — We will talk about how to improve logistics and clear marking of pickup points. The customer must know where he can return the bottle if there is no vending machine in a given store, she added.
The deposit system that came into force in Poland aims to increase the level of packaging recycling in line with EU guidelines. It includes single-use plastic bottles up to 3 liters, reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 liters and metal cans up to 1 liter. When purchasing a drink, a deposit is charged, which the customer recovers when returning the packaging to a designated point, without the need to present a receipt.
Ultimately, the system is to lead to selective collection of at least 90 percent. beverage packaging placed on the market. (PAP)
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