How circular is Poland now

The questions of how advanced Poland is in introducing the circular economy and what are the priorities of business were discussed by experts in a panel on circular economy. Representatives of large companies (beverage, furniture, and bottle makers) discussed the state of circular economy in Poland. Drawing on examples from the practice of their companies, also those located in other countries, they discussed the possibilities of accelerating change and building circular economy.

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Good legislation, practical regulations that hit the needs of consumers, and sensible innovations are the key to bringing about change as circular economy is based on the interface between business, producers, and society, or the consumers. As the panellists noted, the circular economy not only introduces new responsibilities, but also creates jobs and improves the quality of life.

The September discussion was held with the entire market looking forward to the announcement of the deposit system law, delayed for more than three months. Experts discussed on the expected provisions of the new legislation, the role of industrial design, and consumer behaviour.

In our view, we spend too much time trying to come up with a new model instead of using solutions that we know work, said Jaak Mikkel, head of Coca-Cola HBC Polska. He added that simple solutions, such as those offered by the deposit system already implemented successfully in many countries are important from the business point of view.

He also pointed out the need for further state action. Rules and regulations alone will not solve the problem. We need to find solutions to change everyday consumer behaviour on a massive scale. In my opinion, practical solutions at the state level are needed to accelerate the change, he said.

Reinier Schlatmann, President of the Central and Eastern European region at DS Smith, a provider of paper, paper packaging, and recycling services, said that according to his company’s research, 85% of consumers want eco-friendly changes. It is not just about the environmental benefits of introducing closed-loop recycling, but also the economic benefits of using less plastic to save money, he said.

He pointed out that a whole new way of managing packaging brings problems that engineers and designers need to sit down together to solve. One of the solutions to help protect resources is better industrial design. We are trying to design better. What difference does this make to circular economy? You can pack more products into one truck, for example, to save transport costs, he said.

Marina Dubakina, General Manager of Sustainability at IKEA Retail, noted that the law banning plastic cups in restaurants had caused managers to fear it would damage business and customers would be unhappy. However, it turned out that business had no loss and the changes were successfully implemented ahead of schedule, she said.

She also emphasised the role of design. As part of the implementation of the circular economy, we take care of the design of our products to enable our customers to take care of them later or process and use spare parts, she added.

Anna Sapota, Vice President of Public Affairs for North-Eastern Europe at the Tomra Group, noted that the right financial policy for the deposit system and the simplicity of the system could prompt a change in consumer behaviour. In my opinion, new solutions pose a threat because we humans do not like changes. It is very difficult to encourage the consumer to do something new. Therefore, recycling rules must be simple and the containers must be easily accessible, on the streets, for example, she said.