Poland's deposit system and recycling infrastructure developments

Poland is implementing a deposit system aimed at collecting 90 percent of PET bottles and aluminum cans. While the system is designed to return deposits to consumers, specialized machines are also appearing for separate ecological initiatives.

At Kraków Airport, a machine located in a Relay store accepts plastic bottles and cans but does not provide cash or vouchers. Instead, the device operates as part of an environmental campaign in cooperation with posadzimy.pl, where every 20 collected items results in a tree being planted. The Ministry of Climate and Environment clarified that regulations allow for such independent collection machines to operate alongside the official deposit system.

Experts note that the success of the deposit system should be measured not just by collection rates, but by the development of recycling infrastructure. Increased collection of high-quality, less contaminated PET requires expanded capacities for sorting, washing, and processing to ensure the material remains within the national circular economy.