The programme is aimed at reducing mixed household waste and boosting recycling rates.
Under the new rules, stores larger than 200 square meters in area must accept empty packaging, while smaller shops will collect deposits but may opt out of taking returns.
The system will apply to three types of packaging: plastic bottles up to three liters, metal cans up to one liter, and, starting in January 2026, reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 liters.
The deposit will amount to PLN 0.50 (EUR 0.12) for plastic bottles and cans, and PLN 1 (EUR 0.23) for reusable glass bottles.
Customers will be able to return containers through machines placed in or outside shops, or by handing them in directly.
No receipt will be required for a refund, but containers must be empty, undamaged, and carry a legible barcode.
Deposits that go unclaimed will be used to fund the system.
Deputy Climate Minister Anita Sowińska has said she will propose extending the programme to include single-use glass bottles, which are currently excluded.
She told Poland's PAP news agency that consultations with retailers would be needed, since small shops had previously argued that they lacked the space and logistics to handle returns of single-use glass.
Officials stress that the priority is to encourage reusable glass.
According to the climate ministry, a single returnable glass bottle can replace about 20 disposable ones.
In Germany such bottles circulate an average of 45 times before recycling, while in Finland the figure is 33, the PAP news agency reported.
Not all packaging will be covered. Cartons and bottles used for milk and yoghurt drinks are excluded after appeals from the dairy industry.
Whether or not to include single-use glass in future will depend on further legal changes or operator decisions.
Poland has struggled to improve waste sorting and recycling, as in many other European countries.
New laws also require municipalities to expand their collection of textiles and clothing, raising concerns about costs and illegal dumping.
Experts argue that more responsibility should fall on producers under so-called Extended Producer Responsibility rules, rather than on local governments and residents.
The bottle deposit system, years in the making, was first signed into law in 2023 and amended after that year’s parliamentary elections.
The government hopes it will significantly increase the share of packaging returned for reuse or recycling, bringing Poland closer to European Union targets for a circular economy.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP