- In 2023, revenues from the recycling fee amounted to nearly PLN 173 million, which is 0.9% less than in 2022.
- The Ministry of Climate predicts that the whole of 2024 will close with revenues of around PLN 174.5 million. In addition, it claims that it does not plan to change the amount of the recycling fee or to include so-called tear-offs, i.e. nets with a material thickness of less than 15 micrometers.
According to data from the Ministry of Climate and Environment (MKiŚ), in the first half of this year, the revenue from the recycling fee for plastic bags amounted to PLN 90,060,814.84. This is 2.6% more than in the same period last year, when PLN 87,817,163.49 was collected. The above fee is paid by customers who collect plastic bags in the store, with the exception of very light mesh bags with a thickness of less than 15 micrometers (so-called tear-offs), which are required for hygiene reasons or offered as the basic packaging for food sold loose. The fee for one bag is 20 groszy. And it is paid by traders. Its introduction a few years ago was intended to discourage shoppers from using plastic bags and to develop the habit of coming to the store with their own reusable bags.
Fewer plastic bags are used in Poland than in other European Union countries.
– This goal has been achieved. According to official data, fewer plastic bags are used in Poland than in other European Union countries, only about 20 per person per year. However, there are some reservations. Despite the positive opinions of research agencies reporting for the EU, the fee in the country also covers bags over 50 micrometers, which is a complete misunderstanding. There is also no justification for this fee in the EU directive itself. The fee fluctuations are so slight that it can be assumed that they remain unchanged. However, the single-use nature of paper bags, which replaced plastic bags, is absolutely beyond dispute, because there are no restrictions on their production and sale – says Robert Szyman, General Director of the Polish Association of Plastics Converters.
In turn, Sławomir Pacek, president of the Polish Recycling Association, explains that the cited result may be the result of several factors. The first is better reporting of bag usage by retail entities. Another issue may be the greater demand for disposable bags, which are increasingly used in households as so-called "garbage bags". In addition, information about the origin of bags, which are described as recycled, has increased, which somewhat justifies their use.
Plastic is not that bad as long as it is used multiple times
– At the same time, using plastic bags does not have to be unequivocally bad. It should be remembered that such a bag used many times and finally thrown into a yellow container is a good solution from the perspective of environmental protection. It is more beneficial than the recently quite popular paper bags, the production process of which is burdened with a greater carbon footprint than those made of plastic – adds President Pacek.
Looking at the data for the whole of 2023, we can see that the revenue from the recycling fee for plastic bags amounted to exactly PLN 172,994,522.86. This is 0.9% less than in 2022, when it was PLN 174,492,530.58. Sławomir Pacek notes that such a small fluctuation is a natural market situation. – The difference of 0.9% is relatively small. We can certainly find a connection between the financial issue and the economic crisis or a greater willingness of citizens to save, but drawing conclusions from these premises would be too far-reaching in this case – adds the expert from the "Polish Recycling" Association.
This year's revenue from the recycling fee will amount to PLN 174.5 million
The Ministry of Culture and Environment forecasts that this year's revenue from the recycling fee will amount to PLN 174.5 million. The estimate for 2023 also had this value, so the actual revenue was lower. In turn, the forecast for 2022 amounted to PLN 176.501 million, so it was also lower than expected. Sławomir Pacek points out that these forecasts are based on one known and two unknowns. It is known that the fee for a bag is 20 groszy, but it is difficult to say how many bags were purchased. Such assumptions will always be burdened with the risk of measurement error. In addition, the ministry does not plan to change the amount of the recycling fee or introduce regulations aimed at covering very light plastic shopping bags with a material thickness of less than 15 micrometers, i.e. so-called tear-offs.
– The fee for lightweight plastic bags was an expression of the implementation of the Single Use Plastics Directive, which imposes targets on Member States to reduce the amount of their use. As a result of the high fee and the need to keep records, a significant part of the retail trade stopped distributing these bags. Very lightweight plastic bags, used to protect loose products, were not subject to the directive and the transposing act – says Robert Szyman from PZPTS.
The "Polish Recycling" Association is against introducing a fee for skidding, because they are difficult to replace, especially since, with the growing ecological awareness of consumers, plastic bags are actually used less and less often. – Considering what plastic bags have been replaced with and how harmful their paper substitutes are to the environment, it would be worth seriously considering whether it would not be better to promote the conscious use of reusable plastic bags and at the same time conduct special educational campaigns focusing on the proper sorting of waste in households – sums up President Sławomir Pacek.
