Poland faces legislative push to abolish deposit return system

A legislative proposal to abolish Poland’s deposit return system has been submitted to the Sejm by members of the Konfederacja party. The bill seeks to eliminate the current mechanism, which requires consumers to pay deposits for plastic bottles, metal cans, and glass containers.

Sławomir Mentzen criticized the existing regulations as a “farce.” In response, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, represented by Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska, defended the system. The Ministry reported that as of late June, citizens had returned 2.3 billion containers, including 1.4 billion PET bottles and 900 million metal cans.

The Ministry warned that dissolving the system would lead to increased plastic pollution in forests and rivers, higher waste management fees for citizens, and significant financial liabilities toward businesses that have already invested in recycling infrastructure.