Stores find the costs and state of preparation for the bailout system

In accordance with the amendment of the Act on Packaging Management and Packaging Waste signed by the president in December 2024, the bailout strategy will start in Poland on 1 October (early regulations assumed the beginning of 2025).

Problem of contract with the operator

– Although there is inactive any time before October, it seems that there is no strategy developed and no readiness to start the strategy in Poland. The main challenge is operational issues, including logistics related to the functioning of the strategy – assessed Marcel Mrowiec from EY Poland.

As she pointed out, the first phase of entry into the bailout strategy by commercial networks is to conclude an appropriate contract with the bailout strategy operator or operators. "However, in this respect, the Act does not specify what specified an agreement should contain, and it is highly crucial from the position of cooperation between commercial networks and operators," she added.

Another issue is to make a retention space for the received packages. In Mrowiec's view, retention of glass packaging is peculiarly challenging. “Commercial networks, like another marketplace participants, effort to adapt to the fresh rules, but there are inactive many unknowns that will should be resolved by October,” Mrowiec said.

W Lidlu implementation of the strategy is PLN billion over respective years

– The adaptation involves a advanced cost of rebuilding shops to separate rooms for collecting deposit packages or spaces, as well as buying bottlecats. The cost of adapting 1 store to collection of packages is estimated at approx. PLN 1 million. We estimation that in the span of respective years the implementation of solutions allowing to collect packages in all our stores in Poland will amount to PLN 1 billion – says Aleksandra Robaszkiewicz from Lidl Polska. He besides adds that in addition to the costs associated with construction work and the acquisition of bottles, there will be a request for financial expenditure related to the adaptation of IT systems, providing service, creating completely fresh processes in shops and warehouses.

She recalled that as part of the strategy test, the network had made available to customers located in built-in rooms or inside a bottle-store to which they could return plastic PET bottles. She besides stressed the request for a “clear educational campaign” that would explain the intent and principles of the bailout system.

Leviathan predicts costs of PLN 250 million

Marcin Poniatowski of PSH Lewiatan said that the network already has a tested automatic collection and is presently working on the issue of hand collection. – I would like to say that we are ready and calmly waiting for 1 October, unfortunately that is not the case. As a franchisee, we effort to prepare shops for the strategy on the basis of the information we already have, but (...) it is not entirely possible," Poniatowski said.

According to him, the estimated cost of adapting the store to the bailout strategy will be about PLN 100 thousand. As he explained, it depends on the size of the store, the number of packages received and the ability to organize the collection and retention of packages. – However, given the existing estimates and the number of shops that can participate in the system, the cost only for our network stores can amount to PLN 250 million. According to the provisions of the Act, these costs as well as the costs of subsequent collection should be borne by operators – however, the rates they are offered present as part of the handling charge let to cover only a tiny part of the costs that will be borne by the shops – Poniatowski pointed out.

Aldi, Auchan, Frog and Kaufland test and assemble recyclomatas

Judyta Ciesińska of Aldi Polska reported that so far more than 200 devices have been installed in network facilities. – The installation process is dynamic – we implement respective machines a day. Our plans foretell that the number of bottles will correspond to the number of stores in our network, which means that the full should be over 360," she added. According to her, the estimated costs of implementing the full strategy in the network scope respective twelve million PLN.

According to Auchan Polska, talks with operators are presently being conducted, the IT strategy is being prepared for the bailout system, as well as recyclomats are being inserted into the stores.

Ultimately, all Auchan store will be equipped with a recyclomat. specified devices are to be located in places accessible to customers – depending on the store in the pass or on the car parks. The network besides announced that in preparation for the introduction of the bailout strategy in Poland it was essential to carry out organisational changes in the company. A task squad was set up to measure different scenarios, including a hand-held collection from the client.

The Żabka Polska press office has stated that presently in more than 750 online stores customers can hand over drinks packaging. More than 200 pilot semi-automatic bottle-return devices are available in the shops in Wrocław, Katowice and Tychy, as well as in another cities, about 70 full automatic packaging collection machines will be available. However, the Frog pointed out that a tiny part of the network's shops, due to their size, would be subject to the work to introduce selective collection under the bailout scheme.

The Kaufland network, as it has stated, is presently implementing a pilot investigating program for PET bottles in 10 of its facilities, and is shortly planning to grow the task to further stores. She added that as part of the preparation for the implementation of the bailout system, she tested the applicable processes and analysed the costs associated with its operation.

Ladybug on world-specific regulations

– We conduct tests in 15 stores with 6 device suppliers to choice the mark device that will optimally meet our requirements. At the same time we are constantly negotiating and preparing to implement the strategy throughout the network. However, this process takes time due to the fact that in addition to installing the machines themselves, it is besides essential to adapt IT systems and make the essential interior procedures – explained Dagmara Lakoma from the Ladybug network.

She pointed out that the additional complication in Poland is the “unique in the world” rules that let many bail systems to be operated by various entities. As she has said, for commercial networks, this means the request to integrate and exchange data with a number of different systems, which involves both considerable time and costs. She added that Ladybug is presently in talks with individual operators to get to know their proposed bailout systems in terms of logistics and strategy solutions.

She noted that the introduction of a bailout strategy entailed immense costs for all companies on the market. This includes both changes in packaging and acquisition of automatic collection machines. “In addition to the large challenge of equipping stores with packaging machines, we are faced with even greater challenges – integration of our strategy with the systems of all deposit strategy operators who apply to us” she added.

Netto mentions the costly preparation of employees

Netto, on the another hand, has announced that it is presently investigating the bailout strategy in a full of 4 stores located in Warsaw and the surrounding areas, where machines for collecting packaging have been installed. In the coming weeks, the company plans to grow the tests to include more stores, and in May run a manual collection test. She besides reported that the mark number of machines would depend on the test run.

It was noted that the implementation of the bailout strategy applies to each division of the company. – It is about several, respective twelve people who are constantly active in this process, so it is surely expensive; we must remember about the adaptation of cash registers, preparation of employees, training, engagement of respective teams. However, it is hard to tell us a circumstantial amount – stressed in the comment.

Polish consumer needs knowledge

One of the operators of the bailout strategy in Poland PolKa – Poland Deposition informed in April this year that the debate on the bailout strategy was about the readiness of Polish consumers to come. According to the operator, Poles are to anticipate this solution, but at the same time they deficiency cognition about how the full strategy will function. “In the current situation, it is crucial to rise consumer awareness of the bailout system. For example, shops should inform which packages and how they can be returned," said Marcel Rakowski of PolKa.

As estimated in January this year by the president of the Polish Chamber of Commerce Maciej Ptaszyński, it can be assumed that there are between 60 and 100 1000 shops in Poland, and in the first period of 2 years after the launch, the bailout strategy will concern “a row of 20 and 30 1000 shops”. However, he pointed out that these are estimates, due to the fact that the exact number of all food stores in Poland is hard to determine. Like the number of larger stores which, according to the Act, will gotta introduce a collection of packages under the bailout system.

Several years of work on bail

The intent of the bailout strategy is to reduce the amount of mixed municipal waste received by municipalities and to increase the level of recycling. Upon the creation of a bailout system, the deposit will be charged to any beverage placed on the marketplace in the package covered by that system. This deposit will besides be refunded to the end user by means of a system, without the request to show a receipt for the acquisition of a drink.

The outstanding bail will be allocated to the financing of the bail scheme. The bailout is intended to encourage return of packages and increase the re-used and processed natural materials utilized to produce packaging. The strategy is intended to cover 3 types of packaging: plastic bottles up to 3 litres, metallic cans up to 1 litre, as well as – from 1 January 2026 – glass multi-use bottles up to 1.5 liters.

Work on the bailout bill lasted respective years. The provisions on this issue were yet adopted by Parliament and signed by the president in 2023. However, part of the industry, stakeholders in the bailout strategy pointed out that the rules were hollow and that they needed to be complemented by key elements. After the parliamentary elections, the fresh management of the climate and environment department began work on the amendment. This was adopted by Parliament and signed by the president in December 2024.