Highlights

• Deposit-refund systems operate successfully in many European countries. Outside Poland, 180 million Europeans use them.
• The deposit-refund system has been operating in Poland since October 1, 2025. Dynamic development has been particularly visible since the beginning of 2026.
• Changes in consumer habits and the widespread availability of return points are key to ensuring the system is fully effective across all EU Member States.
• Deputy Minister Sowińska emphasised the importance of measures to promote the circular economy, as well as waste reduction, effective extended producer responsibility (EPR) mechanisms, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the use of public procurement as a tool for promoting sustainable solutions.

Deputy Minister Anita Sowińska took part in a high-level plenary debate on European waste policy and the coordination of deposit-refund schemes in EU Member States. The panel was also attended by the environment ministers of France and Romania, a representative of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.

During the discussion, the Deputy Minister emphasized that the deposit-refund system in place in Poland since the beginning of 2026 is developing dynamically and is already bringing tangible benefits.

The number of containers returned through the scheme is steadily increasing. By the end of January 2026, 28 million cans and bottles had been returned with a deposit, while data from mid-March already shows 300 million returned packages. This shows that the introduction of the deposit system is already bringing tangible results, and the ecological awareness of Poles is constantly growing

– added the Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment.

Deputy Minister Sowińska also pointed out that a full assessment of the system’s effectiveness will only be possible once data has been collected covering its entire year of operation, which will enable the number of returned containers to be estimated. The system is currently in a transitional phase. Consequently, this brings with it challenges relating to the logistics of the new system and the need to change consumer habits.

She also emphasised the need to continue implementing the circular economy across the EU and to share best practices developed in the Member States. Among the priorities she also mentioned:

• reducing pressure on resources, including through the development of reusable packaging,
• effective extended producer responsibility regulations,
• support for SMEs in implementing circular economy solutions,
• the use of public procurement as a tool to promote sustainable production and waste management models.

The Resource Recovery Summit was co-organized on March 19, 2026 in Bucharest by the Government of Romania and the Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Forests.

The event was attended by representatives of EU governments, the waste sector and key stakeholders in the circular economy. Poland was represented by Deputy Minister Anita Sowińska.