The deposit system is already a fact, it will come into force on 1 January 2025. When selling products in single-use or reusable beverage packaging, which are beverages, a deposit will be charged, which is returned to the end user upon return of the packaging covered by the deposit system or packaging waste generated from the packaging covered by the deposit system. And what happens to our money if we do not return the packaging?
Who will receive the deposit that was not collected by the consumer?
In accordance with the current regulations, which will come into force in January, these funds will be transferred to the operators of the deposit system.
However, local government officials are appealing for this money to be transferred to local government units, to the so-called ROP fund. What are their reasons for requesting it?
In the interpellation of MP Magdalena Sroka we read:
"Representatives of organizations associating local government units pointed out that the entry into force of these solutions without prior implementation of the so-called extended producer responsibility will result in the necessity for residents to pay higher fees for waste collection. This results from the fact that the deposit system will cover packaging constituting the most valuable waste fractions. Their removal will result in an increase in the costs incurred in the waste management process, and thus the need to increase the fees borne by residents of the communes . Local governments are also afraid that removing fractions covered by deposits from the communal systems will result in their inability to achieve the recycling levels specified by the regulations, which in turn will result in the necessity for these units to pay penalties."
Will Poles pay for waste for which producers will receive deposits?
The second postulate of the local government side is to introduce changes in the allocation of funds from the deposit not returned to consumers. Local government officials appeal to transfer these funds to local government units, to the so-called ROP fund, in order to reduce the burden on residents in terms of waste management fees.
Local government officials indicate that bottles and cans covered by the deposit system and not returned under this system will be managed within the municipal waste collection systems. In practice, therefore, municipalities (or rather residents) will pay for waste for which deposits will be received by their producers."
The MP asks:
1. Has the ministry analysed the amount of revenue from unreturned deposits that will be generated by entities operating the system? What are the forecasts in this regard in general terms in the first 3 years of the deposit system's operation? If such analyses have not been carried out, does the ministry intend to do so?
2. Since bottles and cans covered by deposits and not returned under the deposit collection will be managed within the framework of municipal waste collection systems, would it not be advisable to transfer the funds from the unreturned deposits to local governments?
3. What were the reasons behind the decision taken by the previous management of the Ministry of Climate and Environment to allocate unrefunded deposits to financing deposit system operators instead of financing local government waste collection systems (and thus “returning” to citizens in this form)? Does the current management of the ministry share the opinions of its predecessors in this respect?
4. Does the ministry intend to compensate local governments for the increase in waste management costs related to the introduction of the deposit system? If so, how?
5. Does the ministry intend to compensate local governments for the costs incurred as a result of having to manage waste covered by the deposit system but not returned under this system? If so, how?
The interpellation is waiting for a response.
