On Thursday, October 2, we published an article on istotne.pl: The deposit-return system has barely launched, and here is an offer with a bottle outside the system.

Just a few hours later, Kaufland responded to our publication by sending a statement, which we publish below.

Wrocław, October 2, 2025

Statement from Kaufland Polska

Dear Sir or Madam,

Following the appearance in our promotional leaflet of an offer for Ustronianka brand water in a bottle with a capacity slightly exceeding 3 liters, we would like to explain the situation to all our Customers and Partners.

At the same time, we inform you that the promotion will not go ahead, and the product in question has been immediately withdrawn from sale and will not be available in our stores.

We wish to emphasize unequivocally that it has never been and will never be our aim to circumvent the deposit-return system. The appearance of this offer was a mistake, not an action resulting from our strategy. Any potential sales of this item compared with our entire beverage assortment would have been marginal. However, if even to the slightest extent it could undermine the sound and beneficial environmental solutions of which the deposit-return system is a part, it would conflict with the ideas that guide our chain and that we have pursued since Kaufland first began operating in Poland. This situation required a decisive response from us, and we immediately withdrew the product from sale.

For years, Kaufland has consistently supported environmental initiatives and actively participated in building Poland’s deposit-return system, of which we are an ally and supporter. We participate fully in this system, and since October 1 of this year, we have been ready to collect packaging at all 255 of our stores. Our total investment in developing the necessary infrastructure has already exceeded PLN 235 million.

Our preparation for the comprehensive and target implementation of the deposit-return system is highly advanced, with only minimal need for manual collection, limited to a small number of stores in our chain. One unique element of our commitment to recycling is the introduction of an advanced process for compacting waste collected in stores. This solution compresses the material by up to twenty times, saving on transport and minimizing CO2 emissions by avoiding the transport of air. Materials collected in Poland are transferred exclusively to domestic recyclers.

We will do everything possible to ensure that similar mistakes do not occur in the future.

Yours sincerely,
Martin Piterák
President of the Management Board, Kaufland Polska