Since 1 October 2025, Poland has been operating a nationwide deposit-return system, currently in a transitional rollout phase. Every day, new agreements are being signed between retailers, retail chains and system operators, while additional collection points are being launched across municipalities. The speed at which the system scales largely depends on beverage producers supplying properly labelled deposit-marked packaging to the market. During the transition period, penalties for missing deposit markings are minimal — but they will increase significantly from next year.
“The deposit system is in its launch phase. We wanted to give the industry — not only operators, but also beverage producers and retailers — at least the first three months to adapt. Operators are now actively signing contracts with the tens of thousands of stores applying to join. I hope, above all, that smaller stores will be strongly represented,” says Anita Sowińska, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, in a statement to Newseria.
Under the legislation, all stores above 200 m² that sell beverages in packaging covered by the deposit system are obliged to operate collection points. Deposit-labelled packaging will gradually enter the market. Until the end of the year, retailers may sell through stock that does not yet carry the appropriate labelling.
“The system functions by returning packaging for which a deposit has been paid. Only packaging bearing a deposit label will be part of the system — so first we must wait for such packaging to appear on store shelves; only then will consumers begin returning it,” explains Piotr Okurowski, CEO of Kaucja.pl – the National Deposit System, one of the licensed operators. “Some producers have already started distribution. Their products are already available and the first returns have taken place. Full rollout will still take several weeks and months.”
“Operators today declare full readiness on the logistics and IT side. Large-format retailers above 200 m² are generally prepared as well. What is still missing is the decision by producers to issue new product batches with deposit labels. They are financially incentivised, but the incentive was intentionally low in 2025 to give them time to ramp up,” adds Deputy Minister Sowińska.
This year the product fee is intentionally symbolic — 10 grosz per kilogram for packaging generally and just 1 grosz/kg for reusable glass bottles.
“But from 1 January the financial motivation rises sharply. If a producer does not join the system, the product fee jumps to as high as 3 zł/kg for plastic or metal. That will strongly incentivise beverage producers — and they will decide when to enter. We expect a gradual wave throughout next year. From 2027, the financial pressure increases even further — that will be the decisive year, when practically all packaging should be covered,” she notes.
“The system requires preparation: producers must label and distribute new packaging, while retail outlets and other collection points must develop consumer-facing return solutions. We may see up to 100,000 collection points in Poland,” says Piotr Okurowski. “We are working intensively with retail chains — new contracts are being signed daily, more collection points join our system, more clients and chains are coming on board.”
According to a September report by Deloitte, total investment costs required to implement the deposit system between 2025–2034 are estimated at around PLN 11.5 billion — including construction work to adapt return points, purchasing reverse-vending machines and manual collection equipment, establishing counting centres and administrative costs. Operating costs could reach PLN 32.4 billion in the next decade.
Collection can be manual (e.g. handled by store employees) or automated using reverse-vending machines (RVMs). Operators have agreed common technical and legal specifications for RVM devices.
“Reverse-vending machines are a convenient, practical way to return deposit packaging. Smaller shops will likely operate manual return using handheld scanners and bag systems,” says Okurowski. “We estimate 30–50 thousand machines will be needed for the largest collection points. Most will handle two fractions — PET bottles and aluminium cans — though three-fraction machines for returnable glass are appearing too, and glass adds its own complexity.”
By law, shops under 200 m² may voluntarily participate in the return and collection system. However, if they sell beverages in reusable glass bottles, they must provide collection for those bottles.
“Smaller stores require additional manual-collection tools — enabling operations without the need for an RVM,” says Okurowski.
The system covers single-use plastic beverage containers up to 3 litres, metal cans up to 1 litre, and reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 litres. Plastic bottles and cans covered by the scheme will carry the marking “kaucja 0,50 zł”, while reusable glass bottles will be labelled “kaucja 1,00 zł”.
“We want the system to launch and for operators, stores and consumers to get used to it. Later, we will consider whether to extend the system to additional packaging streams — for example, one-way glass. This is not a simple decision and will require consultation,” stresses Deputy Minister Sowińska. “The Ministry’s priority is to support reusable packaging, as it is the most sustainable throughout its lifecycle.”
According to the RECAL Foundation, Poland’s deposit system will be the largest in Europe by volume of packaging returned — potentially covering up to 15 billion items annually. It is also decentralised, allowing multiple operators to coexist, each defining its own operating model and settlement processes with retailers. To date, seven entities have been licensed.
“The newly launched system is a major step forward — but already we see that certain aspects should be more tightly supervised. With multiple deposit operators and no umbrella oversight body, there is no single authority tracking all transactions, deposits collected and refunded, packaging sold and returned. Without coordination, operators might diverge — potentially paralysing the system. This must be prevented. We also advocate adjusting the deposit level according to packaging volume to avoid unintentionally excluding smaller formats,” says Jacek Wodzisławski, CEO of the RECAL Foundation.
He adds that the system is already influencing the packaging market.
“We see some retail chains withdrawing deposit-eligible packaging from sale to avoid handling returns. Some beverage formats are now being launched at volumes just over the threshold for deposit inclusion. Others are replacing deposit-packaging with non-deposit equivalents,” observes Wodzisławski.
According to the September 2025 Mastercard Advisors report “Deposit System in Poland. Consumer Needs and Potential for Card-Based Refunds”, 65% of surveyed consumers believe the system is a good idea that encourages waste sorting. 18% express concern about the effort required for regular returns, but 62% say they are willing to make it part of their daily routine.
Initial lessons and market reactions were discussed during the 2nd Deposit System Seminar organised by the RECAL Foundation and the National Chamber of Commerce, with representatives of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, industry stakeholders and sector experts participating.
