Netto Reports High Return Rate for Deposit system, Addresses Challenges with fraud and Understanding
Netto, a discount retailer in Poland, reports a notable return rate for its deposit system, with 5.5 returned packages for every one sold,according to Jakub Linkowski,Head of Operations Support at Netto https://finanse.wp.pl/netto-zwraca-ponad-polowe-opakowan-z-kaucja-klienci-wymieniaja-kupony-na-pieniadze-6969999984849088a. Since the beginning of 2026, the retailer has collected 177,000 deposit returnable packages. 70% of these are plastic bottles,with the remaining 30% being cans https://finanse.wp.pl/netto-zwraca-ponad-polowe-opakowan-z-kaucja-klienci-wymieniaja-kupony-na-pieniadze-6969999984849088a. 77% of customers redeem the vouchers received for returned packaging for cash.
Currently, Netto operates 90 reverse vending machines (“butelkomaty”) and plans to increase this number to approximately 600 by the end of the year https://finanse.wp.pl/netto-zwraca-ponad-polowe-opakowan-z-kaucja-klienci-wymieniaja-kupony-na-pieniadze-6969999984849088a. Though, manual collection remains the dominant method for fulfilling obligations under the deposit system.
Netto acknowledges challenges with consumer understanding of the system, noting that 35% of returned items are rejected because they are not covered by the deposit scheme, such as bottles containing cleaning chemicals https://finanse.wp.pl/netto-zwraca-ponad-polowe-opakowan-z-kaucja-klienci-wymieniaja-kupony-na-pieniadze-6969999984849088a.
The system is also facing issues with fraud, including label forgery, mass returns of non-compliant packaging, and attempts to mislead staff. According to Polish Deposit System (Polska
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