Biedronka customer returns over 1,000 bottles at recycling machine

A customer at a Biedronka store in Silesia recently surprised staff and shoppers by returning over 1,000 bottles at once using a recycling machine, resulting in a record-breaking shopping voucher.

The incident highlights the growing adoption of recycling systems in Poland. Data from Biedronka indicates that Mazowieckie leads the country in returned packaging with 186 million units, followed by Silesia with 134 million and Małopolska with 109 million.

On average, customers return approximately 25 containers per visit, which yields a shopping voucher worth about 12.50 PLN. The widespread use of these automated machines reflects a shift in consumer habits toward utilizing deposit systems for secondary raw materials.