- Next year will bring a real revolution in waste segregation.
- One of the most important changes is the introduction of a deposit system, which will mean that plastic bottles up to 3 liters, glass bottles up to 1.5 liters and metal cans up to 1 liter will be taken to special deposit machines.
- Importantly, milk packaging will be excluded from this system for sanitary reasons.
- Since the beginning of July, in accordance with the regulation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, we know how much the deposit will be. We list the rates below.
- In addition, we share a tip on what to pay attention to when taking part in the deposit deposit system.
How does the deposit system work in practice?
The deposit fee will be added to the price of a given product. If we want to get the deposit back, we will have to go to any vending machine and return the bottles. You will not need to show your receipt. If we do not return the packaging, the deposit is forfeited and will actually be used to finance the deposit system. The amount of the deposit was specified in the regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of July 8. Pursuant to the regulation, the deposit amount for individual types of packaging covered by the deposit system for one piece of packaging is for:
- single-use plastic beverage bottles with a capacity of up to three liters, including their plastic caps and lids, excluding glass or metal beverage bottles with caps and lids made of plastic – PLN 0.50 ;
- metal cans with a capacity of up to one liter – PLN 0.50 ;
- reusable glass bottles with a capacity of up to one and a half liters – PLN 1.00 .
According to previous assumptions, glass bottles were to be covered by the deposit system from the moment the system was launched, i.e. from January 2025, but it was decided to extend the possible period until the end of 2026.
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Glass bottles will enter the deposit system, but later. MKiŚ announces the date
Returning bottles using the deposit system. Practical tips
So far, we have been taught to crush plastic packaging so that it takes up less space in garbage bins. Meanwhile, deposit machines, which we would like to remind you, are obliged by law to be found in every store with an area exceeding 200 square meters. and in smaller stores voluntarily, cannot be crushed . Surprised? This is all because recycling machines will not read the special marking on the crushed packaging, which means another habit of changing! In addition, if we drink a lot of bottled water or other drinks, we will have to find space to store them, if we do not want to run to the store with each empty bottle. In other countries, e.g. Germany, such a system has been in force for some time. People come to supermarkets with bags filled with plastic bottles and one by one they return the packages to the vending machine. Below is a funny video about it. It shows how the deposit system works in practice.
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Changes in waste segregation. See what will change from January 2025
