The machine is there, but it does not work

A reader contacted our editorial office to draw attention to a non-functioning packaging-return point in one of the supermarkets in Bolesławiec.

– Kaufland installed a deposit-return point, but it has been out of service for two or three months. The cashier said that officially it has not yet opened and nobody knows when it will start operating – the resident reports.

There is reportedly a notice about the closure on the door of the room, while customers have nowhere to return bottles and cans covered by the deposit system. According to the person who reported the issue, this makes it difficult in practice to recover the money.

The reader also points to another issue: – The store wants to accept packaging only with a receipt, but as far as I know, the regulations do not require customers to have one.

Indeed – under the rules of the deposit-return system, packaging should be returnable at any collection point without the need to show proof of purchase.

Biedronka customers face a similar problem. A machine stands by the store on aleja Tysiąclecia, but a note reading “Bottle-return machine failure (bottles are accepted only inside the store)” is attached to it. This is another problem for customers.

The problem is not limited to Bolesławiec

Customers across Poland report similar situations. In some stores, the machines are switched off, operate only periodically, or accept bottles only manually at the checkout.

The reasons vary:

  • equipment failures,
  • lack of storage space for packaging,
  • the system implementation phase,
  • technical problems with reading codes.

The machine must identify the packaging, among other things, by its barcode, material and shape. If the label is dirty or damaged, the machine rejects it. In addition, the system is being introduced gradually, and for some time stores will have both deposit-covered packaging and packaging without a deposit in circulation.

Why stores switch off bottle-return machines

In recent weeks, another reason has emerged: attempted fraud.

In some machines, the code scanner is located outside the insertion opening, and the machine does not always have a scale. In practice, this makes it possible to scan one valid package and insert other packages that are not covered by the system.

Some machines operate precisely by reading the code and recognizing the shape, without weighing the packaging. This allows one package to be scanned repeatedly while other unauthorized items are inserted.

That is why some stores temporarily switch off the machines or accept bottles manually.

The deposit-return system is just getting up to speed

The deposit-return system covers plastic bottles, cans and some glass bottles. It is intended to increase recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste.

Experts emphasize, however, that the first months of operation are a transition period: stores, operators and manufacturers are still adapting their logistics, equipment and software.

Therefore, residents may still encounter situations in which:

  • the machine is closed,
  • packaging is accepted only manually,
  • they need to visit another store.