Polish companies, consortiums sign up to operate bottle recycling system

The new Polish deposit container-deposit system will launch in the autumn and be operated by eight enterprises, not six as earlier reported, although only three are currently licenced.

The Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment said it will increase inspections in the lead up to the systems going operational in the autumn, Polish business daily Rzeczpospolita reports.

The ministry is also employing surveys to assess operator readiness and liaise closely with them in the initial months of operation.

There have been criticisms of the operator selection process, as operators must be beverage companies or retailers with private labels.

However, the first two companies to receive permits only sold the minimum number of beverages to meet the legal requirement. An insider joke has spread in the drinks industry that “selling a pack of mineral water” is enough to qualify.

The licensed operators are Zwrotka (Biosystem), PolKa (linked to InPost), and OK Operator Kaucyjny (Lidl and Kaufland), although the latter’s license is under review.

Applications from three additional operators are being assessed: Eko-Operator (Remondis), Ekokaucja (Polcopper), and Reselekt (Eneris), highlighting the presence of waste management companies.

Meanwhile, the largest prospective operator, a consortium of Poland’s top 12 beverage manufacturers, including Coca-Cola and Maspex, has yet to set up a related company, with only the name “Kaucja.pl Operator Kaucyjny S.A.” and a website address announced to date.

The ministry said it does not expect full participation from all beverage manufacturers initially, estimating only 10-20% market involvement.