Poland to introduce deposit system for recycling bottles and cans subsequent yr

Poland will introduce a nationwide deposit system subsequent yr that can permit folks to return used glass and plastic bottles and aluminium cans to retailers with out presenting a receipt, in a transfer that the local weather ministry says will scale back environmental air pollution.

The plans, initially introduced final yr and initially meant to cowl glass bottles as much as 1.5 litres and plastic bottles as much as 3 litres, might be prolonged to additionally embrace aluminium cans with a quantity as much as 1 litre, deputy local weather minister Jacek Ozdoba mentioned yesterday.

“The introduction of a deposit system will scale back environmental air pollution. For the system to work correctly, it should be universally accessible and be sure that the packaging may be simply returned and the deposit reclaimed,” Ozdoba defined.

The programme might be optionally available for small retailers – these with an space of as much as 100 sq. metres – whereas bigger shops might be required by regulation to implement the system in the event that they inventory merchandise bought in bottles or cans

The laws paving the best way for the brand new system is anticipated to be unveiled later in June. It’s going to come into pressure from the start of subsequent yr, with a transition interval for companies lasting a minimum of two years, the deputy minister mentioned.

Ozdoba didn’t say how a lot would the deposit be, however he indicated that the system can be created by the producers themselves, because the proposed regulation leaves quite a lot of freedom to companies on this regard.

The deputy minister famous that the deposit system would assist scale back environmental air pollution from discarded small vodka bottles (generally known as małpki, or monkeys, in Polish), which stay very fashionable in Poland.

Deposits are at the moment payable for glass beer bottles in Poland, though solely bottles of a selected form are lined. The brand new guidelines can be launched as a part of the EU’s 2019 directive on single-use plastics, which requires member states to gather and reuse 90% of such packaging by 2030.

Related techniques in different nations have allowed producers to get again between 80% and 95% of uncooked supplies used for packaging, corresponding to glass, aluminium and plastic. Their objective can be to restrict waste by introducing an incentive to type and recycle.

Photograph credit score: Photograph by Nick Fewings / Unsplash