Deposit strategy in Poland 2025. What, where and how much will you pay back? You don't always get cash

As of 1 October 2025, the bail strategy will apply in Poland. The aim is to reuse packaging and to advance recycling. However, changes rise quite a few questions, e.g. will bail be returned only in cash, is it possible to receive a voucher? Checking.
Bail systems operate in respective countries, including Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark. As you can read on gov.pl, 180 million Europeans already usage them. Poland decided to follow in their footsteps. As of October, drinks will begin to appear in packages covered by the bailout system. There will be a clear sign of bail with her amount.

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Deposit strategy in Poland 2025. How will this work?
The deposit will be added to the drink price only at the cashier's. You can choice it up erstwhile you return the package in the store or machine. You won't request a receipt. The government hopes that the introduction of specified a solution will reduce environmental pollution, increase the level of selective collection and recycling of packaging waste and aid Poles make affirmative waste segregation habits. The bail strategy will include:


Plastic bottles with a capacity of up to 3 litres (when returned you will receive 50 cents).
Metal cans with a capacity of up to 1 litre (when returned you will receive 50 cents).
Reusable glass bottles with a capacity of up to 1.5 litres (you will receive a goldsmith on return).

The collection points will be:

all shops over 200 sq m that offer drinks in packages covered by the bail scheme,
shops little than 200 sq m where beverages will be sold in reusable glass bottles,
other stores that join the system,
deposit machines available besides outside the trading points,
other collection points.


Deposit strategy in Poland 2025Fig. Jacek Marczewski / Wyborcza.pl Agency


New bail strategy in Poland. Cash or a voucher?
"The bail strategy is 1 of the steps that will let us to accomplish crucial environmental objectives. We all want clean forests and beaches. We want not to see tons of plastic floating in our rivers, lakes and seas," said the Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment Anita Sowińska. The provisions clearly indicate that erstwhile you return a box with a bail mark, you must return in cash, cash or card form. However, another countries have besides decided to introduce vouchers that can be exchanged for cash. This is primarily about machines that do not should be supplied with coins. Instead, you get a printout.


In our country, specified a solution is besides foreseen. The Ministry of Climate and Environment reported that "with a bail-out voucher the client has the right to go to the store's cash register, to which the vending device belongs and request payment of money. The store must guarantee that the voucher can be realised in monetary form and must not make withdrawals dependent on making purchases in it". The Polish Act does not apply straight to the institution of vouchers and does not specify a minimum or maximum period of validity. However, according to the government, the voucher should be valid at least a month.

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