Poland's bottle deposit system clears tax rumor, unveils high‑capacity return machine

Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig‑Kloska rejected media speculation that a new tax would be imposed on bottles and cans returned under Poland's deposit return scheme. She affirmed that the system operates correctly, that no changes to tax law are planned, and that the only tax involved is VAT on unclaimed deposits. The minister labeled the tax talk as misinformation and said the Ministry has asked the state agency NASK to investigate the wave of false information.

The deposit system, in force since 1 October 2025, covers plastic bottles up to 3 L and metal cans up to 1 L, with a 50‑cent deposit, and from 2026 also includes glass bottles up to 1.5 L with a 1‑zł deposit. In Poznań a new high‑capacity bottle‑return machine was installed near the Selgros Cash & Carry store. The device can accept more than 100 containers at once, automatically sorts and counts them, and issues a receipt for the deposit refund. It operates 24 hours a day, except for a brief maintenance window, and is part of a broader rollout of public recyclomats across Poland.