Recycling in Warsaw Poland

Warsaw is a recycling-friendly city: even organic bins are available! Poland is the first EU country in this blog, so I am positively surprised by the level of recycling infrastructure here. So, I am glad to share the new post about Travel and Recycling in Warsaw, Poland – enjoy!

The recycling rate in Poland increased significantly in the last years up to 31% (2019). But still close to the landfill rate (27%) and much lower than the EU average rate (42%).

Penalties for littering public space and agricultural land are quite high: 1105 EUR.

Government stimulates citizens to sort waste: the standard waste disposal fee (18-20€ for Warsaw) will be increased from 2 to 4 times if you do not sort for further recycling.

As a citizen, you must declare do you sort waste or not. As a tourist, you must follow recycling rules as well and put waste in appropriate containers.

In 2019 Poland moved from 3 types of waste recycling systems to a minimum of 5 types of waste types.

All municipal waste is sorted into 5 fractions: paper, metals and plastics, glass, bio, and mixed waste. If you hesitate about what bin to use for your waste try this local website dedicated to recycling rules, where you should enter the type of waste in the Polish language (yes, the website was developed to be used by locals mostly).

Note: usage of Google Translate works perfectly, even if you do not know the Polish language.

Color coding for Warsaw recycling bins:

• green for glass (‘szklo’);
• blue for paper (‘papier’);
• yellow for plastic and metal (‘tworzywa sztuczne’)
• brown for organic.

If you live in a flat you should use dedicated bins based on the color coding above. These bins are usually located in a separate building near your house, or on the first floor of the house). If you are a tourist and rent a flat then I recommend you double-check with your host about the recycling rules in this particular householding.

If recycling bins in your house are absent (it can be the case, but rarely), then you can use one of these bins located on Warsaw streets – the same color coding scheme is applicable here.

If you live in a private house you should use dedicated bags for recyclables (also differ by color and the same color coding) leave them near the house and they will be taken by the government waste recycling service.

Great news! In June 2022 Poland government announced a deposit system for glass, plastic, and metal cans that will be installed in big supermarkets (in small shops it’s optionally).

Often you can also find battery collection points in state institutions, e.g. schools or offices. Also, battery containers can be found in stores or shopping malls that sell batteries (actually, it’s shops’ legal obligation to install collection points if they sell batteries).

Oversized electronic waste (washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers, electric cookers, clothes dryers, TV sets) could be taken by free-of-charge service from Elektrosmieci from your home.

On another dedicated website Elektroeko, you can find the e-waste collection points map that is suitable for small e-waste objects (like mobile phones).

You can also find e-waste collection points in stores selling electrical appliances (find an example of such a bin in the photo gallery). From time to time Warsaw city administration makes such cool events (‘Ecopoukładani’) where you can bring your e-waste for further recycling and exchange it on plants! Follow Warsaw city events (including recycling initiatives) on the official website of the city.

Textile is collected widely across the country and Warsaw, particularly by Wtórpol Company: use Eco Textile bins like on the photo in the photo gallery (or Red Cross bins who is the partner of the Wtórpol Company).

Alternatively, you can bring your textile to one of the below shops/projects (this part is mostly relevant for citizens, rather than travelers):

• Butiki Cyrkurarne (second-hand shops: Westfield Mokotow, Zlote Tarasy, Galeria Mlociny;
• Vinted.pl (online second-hand shop);
• Bazar Miejski (you can rent a place to sell your belongings);
• Charity shop Kopalnia.

Acc. to the rules you should use a dedicated brown bag for biowaste (organic). Collection of green waste (grass, leaves, small branches) is carried out from March to November by Lekaro.pl service.

And at least two private collection points for organic are registered in ShareWaste Application in Warsaw. This app helps to find the nearest composting bin nearby – recommend you download it.

If you have unnecessary food (for example, when you already finishing your travel trip to Warsaw) you can leave it in one of the foodbank refrigerators from Wezpomoz Project (find the nearest fridge on the map)

Mixed non-recyclable waste must be placed in black containers – find examples in the photo gallery above.

In Warsaw parks, you can also find black bins for basket dog droppings (‘kosz na psie odchody’).

Expired drugs you can bring to the pharmacies from this list (find the nearest). Note that not every pharmacy in Warsaw accepts expired drugs.