Lidl records 1,371 bottle return as Poland expands deposit system
A customer at a Lidl store in Poland returned 1,371 deposit‑eligible containers in a single visit, receiving a refund voucher worth 685.50 zł, the highest single‑handout recorded by the chain. Lidl Polska reported that such large returns are becoming more common as the national deposit system, introduced in October 2025, gains popularity. The system charges 0.50 zł for plastic bottles and cans and 1 zł for reusable glass bottles, with no receipt required for refunds.
Lidl has also extended its supplementary bonus program for non‑deposit PET bottles and aluminum cans. Customers now receive a 10‑cent (0.10 zł) shopping voucher for each returned item, and the program has been prolonged to 30 September 2026.
Environmental NGOs are urging the government to widen the scheme to include single‑use glass bottles, proposing a 1 zł fee per bottle to fund public‑space clean‑up. The Ministry of Climate and Environment has confirmed that a decision on the extension will be made in the second half of the year. Analysts estimate 475–730 million small glass bottles are sold annually in Poland, with clean‑up costs of 10–26 million zł per year, highlighting the fiscal and ecological stakes of the proposed change.
The upcoming summer holidays are being described as the first real test of the deposit system, with observers watching whether plastic and metal waste declines while glass waste remains prevalent.