The social side of Poland's new deposit system
Poland returns. And some people collect. Poland’s nationwide deposit return system has quickly become part of everyday life. But returning bottles and cans isn’t only about recycling.
Our new study with SW Research looks at how people use Poland’s deposit system, why they return containers and what role collecting deposit containers in public spaces already plays.
89% return deposit containers
Almost nine out of ten respondents return deposit-bearing bottles and cans.
63.1% return containers from their own household, while 19.8% also occasionally return containers they happen to find in public spaces. Another 6.2% actively collect deposit containers outside the home.
One in four also picks up containers in public spaces
Around 26% of respondents go beyond returning their own containers and also pick up deposit bottles or cans they encounter in public spaces.
For Return For Good, this is an important finding: deposit systems do not only change what happens at the return machine. They also create value for beverage containers that might otherwise be left behind.
Among respondents who deliberately collect deposit containers in public spaces, 41.6% describe it as a small additional source of income and 38% as a significant additional source of income. For 1.6%, it is their main source of income.
71.4% say recieving back the deposit is a reason for returning containers.
Other motivations include:
42.3%: It is the right way to handle containers
36.3%: Environmental reasons, including reuse and recycling
33.1%: Keeping public spaces tidy
26.8%: Returning containers has become a habit
Deposit systems are usually discussed through collection rates and recycling targets.
We want to add another perspective: the people behind those numbers.
The Polish results show how quickly financial value can influence everyday behaviour and how deposit containers in public spaces can become an additional source of income.
Return For Good works to make this social side of circularity visible and to support solutions that work for people as well as materials.
About the study The study “Attitudes and Behaviours Towards the Deposit Return System” was conducted by SW Research from 28 to 30 July 2026 using online interviews (CAWI). The sample consists of 1,008 adults in Poland and is representative by gender, age and size of place of residence.