Poland's bottle deposit machines clog quickly, record holder returns 7,851 containers

Biedronka’s bottle‑return machines use a large steel‑mesh basket fitted with a single plastic collection bag. Because there is no crusher, the bag fills fast – the machines can accept up to 60 containers per minute and hold around 1,600 items, meaning a steady stream of bottles can clog the unit in as little as 15–20 minutes. Staff must empty and replace the bag several times a day, which leads to queues and complaints from customers.

In a separate incident, Wiesław Galwas spent eight hours inserting 7,851 bottles and cans into a deposit machine at a store in Kołbiel, Mazovia. He earned a voucher worth 3 925,50 zł. Galwas built his own high‑capacity device in a garage, claiming it can hold 8–10 thousand items in about one square metre and even re‑inflates crushed bottles. The money will fund innovation workshops at a local primary school. Poland’s deposit system, launched on 1 October 2025, assigns a 0.50 zł deposit to most plastic bottles and cans and 1 zł to larger glass containers, refundable without a receipt.