A nationwide deposit system in Poland is facing criticism after significantly reducing usage of locally-funded bottle return machines. In Szczecin, officials report a tenfold decrease in people using the city’s “butelkomaty” – bottle return machines established through citizen-led budgeting. These machines, initially popular and supported by residents, are now largely unused following the implementation of the national scheme. Szczecin authorities are now grappling with the future of these underutilized devices and the investment made in them. The Ministry of Climate and Environment, however, has not expressed concern regarding the impact on local initiatives. The situation highlights a potential conflict between national standardization and locally-driven environmental efforts. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the national system in complementing, rather than replacing, existing recycling infrastructure.