Programme nearbyCommunityWarsawPoland national Deposit Return System: launching October 2025Five years of advocacy, one national system After five years of sustained advocacy by the Polish Zero Waste Association, Poland's national Deposit Return System (DRS) is launching on 1 October 2025. The system will apply to beverage containers: bottles, cans, and cartons: across all retail points. For communities and municipalities, the launch creates both infrastructure (return machines, collection logistics) and a cultural shift toward thinking of packaging as something that goes back, not into the bin. What the DRS means for residents - A deposit paid at purchase is refunded when you return the container at a registered return point - Return machines will be installed at supermarkets and retail locations across the country - Manufacturers, retailers, and the state share responsibility under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) How to engage - Polish residents: return your beverage containers from October 2025 at the nearest registered return point: your deposit is waiting - Retailers: follow the official DRS operator guidance on installing return machines in time for the October launch - Municipalities: contact Polish Zero Waste Association for support preparing residents for the DRS launch with education campaigns Why it matters Poland's DRS is proof that persistent, evidence-based advocacy works. After five years, the system is real. It sets a precedent for EPR policy in Poland and demonstrates the path to other advocates working on similar legislation in CEE countries.deposit-returnpackagingpolicy +2
Programme nearbyCommunityBrusselsStatiegeldalliantie: 730 cities for deposit return systemsA coalition of municipalities pushing for bottles that come back The Statiegeldalliantie (Deposit Return System Alliance) has grown to include approximately 730 cities and municipalities across Belgium and the Netherlands, all committed to supporting binding deposit return systems for beverage packaging. The alliance unites local governments, civil society organisations, and businesses in a shared advocacy coalition. What the Statiegeldalliantie does - Coordinates political pressure on national governments to mandate deposit return systems - Documents the environmental and economic case for bottle and can deposits - Connects municipalities with reuse solution providers ahead of future regulation - Celebrates member cities that already pilot local reuse and return schemes How to engage - Residents: ask your mayor or councillor whether your municipality has joined the Statiegeldalliantie - Businesses: return beverage containers via existing deposit points; advocate with your trade association for deposit return expansion - Municipalities not yet in the alliance: contact Fair Resource Foundation to join Why it matters 730 municipalities representing millions of residents signal to national parliaments that deposit return is a political priority: not just an environmental ask. When local governments coordinate at this scale, national legislation follows.deposit-returnpackagingpolicy +2
Programme nearbyCommunityKievUkraine: advocating for deposit return and packaging EPR in wartime legislationBuilding a better packaging law while the country defends itself Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine participates in the working group developing Ukraine's Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste, advocating for mandatory deposit return systems (DRS) and refill requirements alongside standard Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provisions. The Alliance submitted 32 signatures from civil society organisations in a joint letter on technical waste incineration requirements: and the Ministry incorporated most of its recommendations. What the advocacy covers - Drafting submissions to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Law working group - Advocating for DRS provisions (with partial success: the final bill has not yet included refill targets) - Submitting joint civil society letters on incineration technical standards, with impact on final regulation - Collaboration with the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Committee on Environmental Policy How to engage - Ukrainian civil society organisations: join the ZWAU network and contribute to the next round of packaging law submissions - International EPR advocates: connect with Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine to share examples from EU packaging legislation that can strengthen the Ukrainian law - Businesses operating in Ukraine: engage proactively with the DRS working group: getting ahead of the regulation is better than reacting to it Why it matters Packaging law written during wartime will shape Ukraine's post-war economy for decades. Civil society advocacy for deposit return and refill keeps circular principles in the draft, so rebuilding does not lock in disposable packaging by default.policypackagingdeposit-return +2
Programme nearbyRepair & ReuseMunichPrepare for Munich’s Gelbe Tonne (from 2027)Prepare for Munich’s Gelbe Tonne (from 2027) Munich collects too little lightweight packaging at Wertstoffinseln compared with other cities. From 2027 a Gelbe Tonne for plastics, metals, and composites will roll out city-wide, financed by dual systems, not household waste fees. What residents can do now - Sort packaging cleanly in existing yellow systems in pilot districts. - Follow AWM updates on rollout timelines and FAQs. Pilot context Since January 2024 five districts tested Gelbe Tonne, Wertstofftonne, and Gelber Sack variants; council chose Gelbe Tonne in July 2025 based on scientific evaluation. Why it matters Kerbside packaging collection catches what many households still miss at remote Wertstoffinseln.recyclingpackaginglocal
