Raw material recycling involves thermal decomposition of waste, which can yield liquid hydrocarbons or gases that are components for the production of new raw materials. It is used to process some plastics (e.g. PET, polyethylene, polypropylene). This type of recycling is more energy-intensive and more expensive than material recycling , shoe it allows for the return to circulation of waste that is heavily contaminated or heterogeneous (and therefore unsuitable for material recycling).

According to experts, chemical recycling should be a complement to mechanical recycling, which is currently used to process approximately 80% of plastics. Managing Director of the Plastics Europe Polska Foundation, Dr. Anna Kozera-Szałkowska, sees it as an opportunity to recycle raw materials that can be used for contact with food or in medical applications [i] .

[i] Zero recycling point in Poland , https://portalkomunalny.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/raport-punkt-zero-recyklingu-w-polsce.pdf

In the chemical recycling process, two basic reactions are used: breaking and creating new chemical bonds. This means that a plastic particle (polymer) is broken into smaller particles (including monomers), from which new polymers can be produced in the next stage . In this way, materials with identical properties to primary materials obtained from crude oil are obtained.

The most important technologies used during the chemical recycling process are:

• pyrolysis - thermal decomposition occurring without access to oxygen. As a result, pyrolysis oil is produced, from which, after purification and specialist processing, ethylene and propylene can be obtained, i.e. monomers that are the basic raw materials for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene,
• gasification - thermal decomposition occurring in the presence of oxygen. Almost all plastics can be processed in this process,
• solvolysis - an exchange reaction between polymer and solvent molecules. It is mainly used for processing PET.

Pyrolysis and gasification, however, do not fall within the statutory definition of recycling - the materials obtained in these processes are sometimes used as fuel. Therefore, energy is "only" recovered, which cannot be considered recycling. Nevertheless, pyrolysis is a promising method that can produce polymers with properties identical to those of the original polymers.

Chemical recycling is not currently used on a large scale . The Plastics Europe publication [i] indicates that in 2023, only 0.12 million tonnes of plastics will be produced in Europe in this process. However, many experts believe that this method should, and even must, be popularised , especially in the context of the constant pursuit of increasing plastic recycling levels. As emphasized by Dr. Eng. Anna Kozera-Szałkowska, the sanctioning of chemical recycling technology is also necessary due to the upcoming legal regulations regarding the increase in the content of recyclates in consumer packaging. [ii]..

At Interzero, we understand these needs perfectly and have long been taking action to increase the scale of chemical recycling and at the same time reduce the mass of raw materials going to thermal recycling, i.e. waste incinerators. For this purpose, we have developed a special process for sorting mixed plastics, which until now were sent to incineration. In our method, waste is not sorted into monomaterials, but into streams precisely adapted to the requirements of chemical recycling.

In 2023, together with OMV, we started building the largest plastic waste sorting plant , which will then be sent to chemical recycling. The new Interzero and OMV investment, which will be put into operation as early as 2026, will have a processing capacity of up to 260,000 mixed plastics per year.

Discover all Interzero's chemical recycling initiatives.

[i] Plastics Europe, Plastics - Facts 2024 in a nutshell , https://plasticseurope.org/pl/knowledge-hub/tworzywa-fakty-w-pigulce-2024/

[ii]. Zero recycling point in Poland , https://portalkomunalny.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/raport-punkt-zero-recyklingu-w-polsce.pdf

From October 2025, a deposit system for selected beverage packaging will start operating in Poland. This is a response to the challenges related to littering public spaces and meeting EU requirements related to the level of collection of this waste. The new mechanism, included in the Packaging Management Act, is to cover plastic bottles up to 3 litres, aluminium cans up to 1 liter and reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 litres. The system, which aims to simplify segregation and reduce the amount of waste, will be based on a deposit - a fee that we will receive back after returning, for example, an aluminium can at an appropriate point.

In many European Union countries , deposit systems have been operating successfully for years . For example, in Germany, the packaging return rate exceeds 98%, which shows how effective this form of selective collection and recycling of packaging can be. Key success factors include clear rules, the availability of return points (including machines) and an appropriately high deposit rate.

The deposit system is not only a way to a cleaner environment, but also a possibility of better use of secondary raw materials. In times when the Single Use Plastic directive forces changes in the packaging economy, such solutions are necessary.

The second part of the report "In the traps of disposableness - waiting for a deposit". contains detailed analyses, data and recommendations. If you are interested in how the deposit system will affect our daily lives, or you want to check how you compare to the answers, be sure to read the whole thing on our website. Prepare for change and become part of the solution, not the problem!

With the new year, a new regulation came into force (Journal of Laws 2024, item 1644), in which 5 hazardous waste codes were removed from the list of waste codes exempt from the register, including 2 strictly related to the beauty industry. Unfortunately, the current exemption, which was eagerly used by entities generating small amounts of hazardous waste, will disappear. How to prepare for new obligations related to environmental protection?

Registration with BDO is a change for tens of thousands of hairdressers, beauticians and other service providers from the beauty industry who have so far produced< 200 kg/year of waste with code 15 01 10*. The BDO system is the Database on Products and Packaging and on Waste Management - a system that allows for electronic implementation of registration, record-keeping and reporting obligations in Poland. Are you not sure whether your business also has to register with BDO? Or maybe you do not want to deal with it and prefer that specialists take over the matter? On the BDO registration page for beauticians and hairdressers you will find a form - you can contact experts from our company who will take over this obligation. We act quickly because we have been doing it for years - and you gain valuable time that can be devoted to other areas of running a business. If you need more information about the BDO system, watch our free webinar about BDO .

Do you value your hard-earned money? This is another reason to make sure you are registered in the BDO. Let's start with the mildest penalty - that for not filing a BDO report. If an entity required to prepare an annual report on waste generated and waste management fails to file this report, it is subject to a fine - from PLN 20 to PLN 5,000. The penalty for not filing a BDO entry, on the other hand, ranges from PLN 5,000 to PLN 1,000,000. However, these are not the only concerns of entrepreneurs. Managing waste in a manner inconsistent with the information contained in the entry in the register is punishable by arrest or a fine - as is filing an application inconsistent with the actual state of affairs. It is also worth knowing what types of waste there are and which of them are generated by our company. Mixing hazardous waste of different types or mixing hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste is punishable by an administrative fine from PLN 5,000 to PLN 1,000,000.

This waste poses a particular threat to human and animal health and the natural environment. Their disposal may only take place in specially adapted plants and under restrictive control. Code 15 01 10* is packaging containing residues of hazardous substances or contaminated with them. Specific examples? Cans of paints, oxidants, brighteners, packaging of acetones, cleaners, packaging of products containing high concentrations of acids, or packaging of adhesives.

Are you looking for a company that will guide your business through the BDO entry? Fill out a simple form for beauty salons, hairdressers and the entire beauty industry - we will contact you!

On January 1, 2025, an amendment to the regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment came into force, which significantly reduced the product fee rates for glass packaging collected under the deposit system. According to the new regulations, for each kilogram of reusable glass bottles, those introducing them will pay :

• PLN 0.01 (instead of PLN 0.10) in 2025,
• PLN 0.05 (instead of PLN 1) in 2026,
• PLN 0.25 (instead of PLN 5) in 2027 and subsequent years.

Let us recall that the previous regulations provided for uniform rates for all types of packaging covered by the deposit system. So what is the reason for this change?

The amendment to the regulation was intended to make the product fee rates more realistic . As emphasized in the justification for the draft of the new regulation, the weight of a glass bottle is many times higher than the weight of a PET bottle or a can of identical capacity. Based on the data cited by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the weights of half-liter packages covered by the deposit system are as follows:

• PET bottle - 13 g,
• drinks can - 14 g,
• glass bottle - 315 g.

This means that per 1 kilogram of packaging there are:

• 77 PET bottles,
• 71 cans,
• only 3 glass bottles.

In line with the principle that it is the number of packages that litters, not their weight , the product fee rates for glass packaging have been significantly reduced.

Discover Interzero's comprehensive services for deposit system participants >>

The reduction of the product fee for glass packaging was dictated not only by economic issues, but also by ecological ones. The use of reusable packaging has a positive impact on the environment and brings us closer to the realisation of the idea of circular economy . The use of returnable glass bottles reduces the scale of production of new bottles, and thus reduces carbon dioxide emissions, electricity consumption and raw materials .

Maintaining the current, uniform product fee rates for all these types of packaging could cause those introducing them to abandon their use and replace "expensive" reusable glass with much "cheaper" single-use plastics. Giving up reusable glass bottles would be a step backwards, moving us further away from the transition to a circular economy.

See also:

• 9 months delay in the deposit system. What does this mean for the packaging industry?
• Sielaff Bottle Machines - the best machines for the deposit system

Sources:

• Regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of 24 December 2024 amending the regulation on product fee rates for individual types of packaging, https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20240001960/O/D20241960.pdf.
• https://legislacja.rcl.gov.pl/projekt/12389300/katalog/13079739#13079739

According to the provisions of the amendment, from 1 January 2025, each commune is obliged to organise selective collection of textile waste , which includes, among others, used clothing and footwear, home textiles (bedding, curtains) and other fabric products. The minimum that local governments must ensure is the possibility of returning all textile waste to the local PSZOK .

Currently, there are no plans to introduce an additional, sixth container exclusively for textile waste or to oblige municipalities to collect this fraction of waste from properties. However, municipalities have the freedom to organise additional methods of collecting textile waste e.g. collecting it directly from households or creating additional collection points. Częstochowa has recently been testing a similar solution, which allows its residents to return textile waste free of charge after prior telephone appointment.

The introduction of the obligation to selectively collect textile waste results from the transposition into Polish law of the provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives. Article 11 paragraph 1 of the Directive obliges all EU Member States to conduct selective collection of at least the following fractions: paper, metal, plastics, glass and textiles. This last fraction is mandatory collected throughout the EU from 1 January 2025.

Let us recall that the European Union is still working on implementing legislation to increase the effectiveness of textile waste collection and impose additional obligations on textile producers, known as the extended producer responsibility system. Under the provisions of the EPR, those introducing textiles are to be charged with the costs related to the collection, segregation and recycling of waste generated from them.

Selective collection of textile waste means new obligations not only for municipalities, but also for their residents. From the new year , it is forbidden to throw textiles into the mixed waste bin . Fines for failure to comply with the new rules or for incorrect waste sorting can range from 200 to 400% of the basic waste collection fee. It should be emphasised that these penalties are not one-off - if residents of the property continue to fail to comply with the statutory obligations, financial penalties may also be charged in the following months.

The mechanism for calculating such punitive fees is already well known to us - similar consequences will also be faced by us for incorrect sorting of other waste fractions for which there is an obligation to selectively collect (glass, metal and plastics, paper, bio-waste). Why are we reminding you of this? Well, the study we conducted in 2023 showed that only 62% of Poles segregate waste into all the required fractions, and even fewer, 43%, declare that they can do it correctly. You will find more conclusions in the report from the research We are getting into trouble .

Contrary to appearances, since January we are not obliged to return all used textiles to PSZOK. Used textiles in good condition can be donated to charities (e.g. PCK, Caritas, single mothers' homes, homeless shelters) or thrown into a used clothing container .

Textile manufacturers also offer alternative collection points for textiles , giving consumers the opportunity to return old clothes or shoes to their stores. In most cases, these can be products of any brand, which will then be recycled, upcycled or reintroduced to second-hand stores.

As representatives of the waste and recycling industry, we strongly encourage you to act in the spirit of our idea Together for a World Without Waste, which involves not only proper handling of textile waste, but also preventing its generation. How to do it? Discover 5 ways for ecological fashion and a sustainable wardrobe .

The change that will affect all entrepreneurs entered in the BDO register is the increase in the annual and registration fee . It is dictated by, among other things, the growing costs of maintaining, running and developing BDO.

From 2025 BDO fee rates will be:

• PLN 200 for micro-entrepreneurs (increase from PLN 100),
• PLN 800 for other entrepreneurs (increase from PLN 300).

Let us remind you that the deadline for paying the annual fee for a given calendar year expires at the end of February - in 2025 it will be February 28. The annual fee must be paid in the new amount by that date.

Learn more about BDO fee increases in 2025.

From 2025 an obligation to keep records of all hazardous waste generated by entrepreneurs will be introduced. This means that the previously applicable exemptions will disappear , which were eagerly used by entities generating small amounts of hazardous waste, including beauticians and hairdressers. Entrepreneurs running beauty and hairdressing salons can order registration in BDO Interzero - quickly, conveniently and 100% online.

You can read more about the new obligations of the beauty industry in the article: Beauty and hairdressing salons with the obligation to register with the BDO>>.

The obligation to record will cover hazardous waste with the following codes:

• 3 02 08* Other engine, gear and lubricating oils,
• 15 01 10* Packaging containing residues of or contaminated with hazardous substances,
• ex 15 01 11* Metal packaging containing hazardous porous reinforcements other than those of asbestos, including empty pressure containers,
• 16 02 13* Discarded equipment containing hazardous components other than those mentioned in 16 02 09 to 16 02 12,
• 16 06 03* Batteries containing mercury.

Do you produce such hazardous waste? Check if you need to register your company with BDO in 2025!

From January 2025, the obligation to segregate construction and demolition waste into 6 fractions will come into force . The latest change, however, is the departure from the requirement to ensure segregation of R&D waste at the place of its generation - . the entrepreneur will be able to transfer the obligation to segregate it to another entity with appropriate permits and entries in the BDO, provided that an appropriate agreement is signed.

In the previous version of the regulations, the legislator obliged every producer of construction and demolition waste to segregate it at source. As a result of the amendment to the Waste Act, the possibility of segregating waste outside the place of its generation was introduced, but it did not release the entrepreneur from the responsibility for ensuring the implementation of this obligation.

Learn about the new rules for managing construction and demolition waste in 2025.

In 2025. it will not be possible to issue DPR and EDPR documents in the BDO system . The introduction of the Confirmation Module, which was to enable the digital generation of these documents, has been postponed until 1 January 2027. From that date, entrepreneurs will be able to electronically issue DPRs and EDPRs for packaging and products, as well as certificates for electrical and electronic equipment and batteries and accumulators.

In 2025-2026, recycling confirmation documents will continue to be issued in paper form .

From 2025, the limits for spending funds from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management for purposes related to the operation of BDO will be raised . This is to ensure further, trouble-free access to BDO, as well as to maintain the current level of cybersecurity and finance the development of the system.

Moreover, revenues from registration fees and annual fees for entry in the BDO will be a direct income of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.