Poland plans to introduce a nationwide deposit-return system for drinks bottles on 1 January 2023 for single-use plastic bottles with a capacity of up to 3 litres and reusable glass beverage bottles that hold up to 1.5 litres.

The deposit system is to be created by operators introducing beverages in packaging covered by the scheme. At a press conference, Jacek Ozdoba, deputy minister of climate and environment, said, “Entrepreneurs will be obliged to guarantee the level of separate collection of packaging or packaging waste. Ultimately, by 2030, it will be 90% of introduced packaging of a given type. If the required levels of separate collection are not reached, operators introducing beverages will pay a product fee.”

Related: Poland’s plastics industry upbeat; economy booming, raw materials scarce and expensive

Those selling beverages are to be represented by one operator, who will submit an annual report to the climate minister, according to Poland’s Ministry of Climate. “Although the deposit system will not be mandatory, the requirement to reach the levels of separate collection only through the deposit system will make entrepreneurs create such systems. If the entrepreneurs do not join the system, they will be obliged to pay a product fee.”

The exact amount for the deposit still must be specified, with the decision being left to entrepreneurs. “The draft act does not impose on entrepreneurs an obligation to choose the method of collecting packaging and packaging waste. Therefore, they will be able to base the system only on the collection of packaging and waste by stores, but they will also be able to install reverse vending machines for collecting bottles inside and outside stores,” the minister added.

The proposed regulations require stores with retail space of over 100 m² to collect and return packaging waste. For smaller businesses, the deposit-return system will remain voluntary.