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Change in the deposit system. Small shops are obliged to collect packaging
In accordance with the amended Act on packaging and packaging waste management, which adapts Polish law to the EU directive on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, a deposit system will start operating at the beginning of 2025. They will be subject to:
- disposable plastic bottles (up to 3 liters),
- metal cans (up to 1 liter),
- reusable glass bottles (up to 1.5 liters).
For the first two types of packaging, the deposit will be PLN 0.5, and for the third one it will be PLN 1. Customers will recover the deposit by returning empty packaging, e.g. to stores that will participate in the deposit system. Nowadays, more and more commercial establishments are preparing and launching special machines, called recyclers.
An efficient deposit system is the basis for effective recycling, which is confirmed by the examples of countries that have successfully implemented it. Returning plastic packaging to circulation means reducing pollution and waste and the possibility of obtaining high-quality raw material for processing, which can be problematic for the industry. The recovery of this raw material is necessary to meet standards regarding the use of recyclates in the production processes of new packaging materials. An efficiently functioning deposit system, combined with the design of plastic packaging with recycling in mind, will result in the creation of a closed loop in this area – says Mariusz Musiał, Managing Director of ALPLA Polska.
Why is it worth choosing PET?
PET bottles are most often used in the beverage and water industry. The plastic itself is a valuable material and a sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging raw material:
- PET can be recycled many times and is recyclable,
- recycling PET packaging generates much less CO2 than glass or metal packaging and bottles,
- a returnable PET bottle can be filled an average of 25 times,
- Due to their lower weight, the transport of PET bottles generates less CO2 than the transport of glass bottles,
- recycled granulate is used not only for the production of new PET bottles, but also for the production of other products, such as textiles, foils and other packaging,
- packaging that has lost its properties as a result of repeated processing can be recycled, allowing energy to be recovered in the process.
The use of PET is currently one of the most effective and environmentally efficient ways of managing plastics. We should definitely consider used PET packaging as a valuable material, which is why it is so important to recycle it properly. Under no circumstances should they be wasted and end up in the natural environment as ordinary waste.
Increasing awareness of the benefits of PET
The properties of PET dispel the myth that plastics are less environmentally friendly than glass, paper and metal. For example, a 1-liter reusable PET bottle emits only 102 g of CO2 into the environment during its entire life cycle, while in the case of glass bottles it is 144 g (reusable bottle) or even 552 g (disposable bottle).
Many companies see the future in the use of PET materials and invest in modern recycling solutions. Among other things, to meet increasingly higher environmental standards – from 2026, PET bottles will have to consist of at least 25% recycled plastic. Some producers go further and sell products in bottles or packaging made entirely of recyclate.