France rejects national deposit system as Poland faces municipal recycling costs

France has decided against implementing a mandatory nationwide deposit return system for plastic bottles. Following three months of consultations with local governments, producers, and the recycling industry, the Ministry of Ecological Transformation has instead recommended voluntary local programs. A primary concern for local authorities was the potential loss of revenue, as valuable materials like PET and aluminum could be diverted from existing municipal recycling systems.

Despite this shift, France faces pressure to meet European Union requirements, which mandate a 90 percent selective collection rate for plastic beverage bottles by 2029. Currently, the collection rate is approximately 58 percent.

In Poland, where a deposit system has been in effect since October 2025, municipalities are reporting mixed results. While data from Wodzisław Śląski shows a nearly 9 percent decrease in mixed packaging waste, local governments face financial uncertainty. Municipalities must still manage the collection of all plastic fractions, but the loss of high-value materials to the deposit system may make it more difficult and costly to reach statutory recycling targets.