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Slovakia won the arbitration dispute with the Polish company Muszynianka
An investor with tradition
Muszynianka is one of the largest producers of mineral water in Poland. It successfully combines tradition with modernity. It has been providing Poles with healthy water for over 50 years, now also supporting consumers in changing their habits and taking a new approach to environmental protection.
The company boasts one of the most modern production lines in Europe. It produces over 70 thousand water bottles per hour. By investing in renewable energy sources, Muszynianka cares for the natural environment.
Muszynianka will become a shareholder in PolKa because she wants to consciously participate in the creation of a functional deposit system in Poland.
– The introduction of a deposit system brings many benefits. One of them will be to reduce the number of used bottles or cans thrown not only into mixed waste, but primarily into forests, rivers and lakes. From January 1, packaging will gain real value for consumers – it will be more profitable to return empty packaging than to throw it away. Producers will also benefit. According to the EU directive, already in 2025 we will be obliged to collect 77%. bottles sold and their recycling – says Ryszard Mosur, president of Muszynianka.
Polish Deposit System
The obligation to selectively collect packaging waste will come into force in Poland on January 1, 2025, and deposit systems should start operating from that date. The deposit system will cover plastic bottles, reusable glass bottles and cans. A deposit of PLN 50 and PLN 1 for glass bottles will be added to each package, but – according to the announcements of the Ministry of Climate and Environment – this will only happen from 2026.
The consumer will recover the additional fee when returning empty bottles or cans to a return point. Large-format stores will be obliged to collect empty packaging and pay the deposit, while entrepreneurs running smaller commercial units will be able to join the system to collect empty packaging and return the deposit voluntarily. The key element of the deposit system will be the operator, i.e. the representing entity. His tasks will include, among others: recording deposits or collecting packaging.
– Poland, after Germany, will be the second largest deposit system country in Europe. That is why we are happy that Muszynianka is joining the great circular economy project for packaging. All the more so because the deposit system is an action that has been long awaited by society. The vast majority of Poles are in favor of introducing a deposit system, comments Magdalena Markiewicz, president of PolKa.
Circular Economy
– We are glad that we have been joined by a manufacturer that markets drinks in deposit-covered packaging and consciously supports responsible handling of packaging. I hope more will appear soon. Currently, only 40 percent of beverage packaging in Poland is sent for selective collection and subsequent disposal. For comparison, in Germany or Lithuania 90 percent. That is why good practices are so important and should be followed by example, says Krzysztof Kieszkowski, president of the Odzyskaj Środowisko Foundation.
The deposit system operates in 16 countries, including: in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. It was introduced in Sweden in 1984.
The cooperation between Muszynianka and PolKi is another signal to the market that the deposit system is a real need and opportunity that will help achieve recycling goals for the sake of the environment and social awareness of waste segregation.
