A quiet change in the deposit system. You won't return your packaging here. Pharmacies will not “purchase beer bottles”
An important change – the deposit system will no longer cover pharmacies and pharmacy points. The Ministry of Climate took into account the demands of pharmacists who appealed for the exclusion of pharmacies from the system, arguing that they would become a “purchase store for beer bottles”.
The Ministry of Climate and Environment has published a new version of the draft Act on packaging and packaging waste. It turns it off pharmacies, pharmacy points and pharmaceutical wholesalers from the obligation to participate in the deposit system. Pharmacists they breathed a sigh of relief – their appeals finally brought results.
Pharmacies must accept bottles
Let us remind you that from October 1, 2025, i.e. the beginning of the deposit system, it covered, among others: pharmacies with an area of over 200 square meters They must collect reusable glass beverage bottles with a capacity of up to 1.5 liters from customers, marked with a special logo, for direct consumption – if they have it on sale at least one such product.
Such packaging may be returned to points other than the place of purchase – that is, consumers could bring bottles to pharmacies bought at other sales points.
Pharmacists' concerns: pharmacies “purchase of beer bottles”
As described by the website rybzdrowie.pl, jeven before the launch of the deposit system pharmacists were against it including pharmacies in it. They have repeatedly expressed fears that this will happen “purchasing beer bottles”. The Ministry remained deaf to their arguments, but after half a year of the system being in force, it changed its mind. In the new version of the bill the ministry announces a change, that the pharmaceutical industry has been waiting for:
“Article 133. Paragraph 8. The obligation to participate in the deposit system in terms of returning the deposit and collecting empty packaging and packaging waste, as well as the obligation to conclude the contract referred to in paragraph 4, does not apply to pharmacies, pharmacy points and pharmaceutical wholesalers within the meaning of the Act of September 6, 2001 – Pharmaceutical Law.”
Contaminated bottles next to medicines?
As described by rybzdrowie.pl, the introduced change is the result of numerous objections from, among others, Supreme Chamber of Pharmacy (NIA). She emphasized that including pharmacies in the system causes imposing new obligations on them, that lead to changes in work organization.
As the chamber noted: “in the case of pharmacies, this means the need to introduce additional procedures, the potential storage of contaminated empty packaging on pharmacy premises, and also raises serious doubts as to compliance with the regulations governing the safe circulation of medicines.”
Refund system in pharmacies: many uncertainties
The Chamber emphasized that the introduction of the deposit system remains in conflict with regulations, that concern pharmacies.
– The regulations regarding the collection of empty beverage containers in pharmacies conflict with the requirements of the indicated regulations. They do not specify, among others: the rules for keeping and storing records of the deposit system in pharmacies, or whether they should be kept separately from the medicines records, says the NIA.
She also pointed out that there was a lack of, among others: brightness, whether the regulations allow it placing signs in pharmacies informing about the collection and refund of deposits, and if so, whether such information falls within the scope of data that the pharmacy may provide to patients without violating the ban on advertising pharmacies – describes rybzdrowie.pl.
Draft act after introducing the proposed changes is at the review stage.
What packaging does the deposit system cover?
Let us remind you that the deposit system currently includes:
- capacity plastic bottles up to 3 liters (deposit is 50 groszy),
- capacity metal cans up to 1 liter (deposit 50 cents),
- reusable glass bottles with capacity up to 1.5 liters (deposit PLN 1).
The obligation to collect packaging covered by the system applies to all stores over 200 sq mthat sell drinks in such packaging. Smaller stores may accept packaging freely, except for sales outlets below 200 sq m, which sell drinks in reusable glass bottles – they are also covered by the system.
