AutoSmart GuidebooksWhat this guidebook covers
Every oil change leaves a trace in BDO, the national waste database. A workshop produces oils, filters, fluids, batteries and tyres, and every handover needs a waste transfer card (KPO) in BDO. Operating without a BDO entry can be fined from PLN 5,000 to PLN 1,000,000, and can even lead to prison. Since 2021, waste records are kept only electronically.
This guidebook covers 5 environmental standards, with 13 checkpoints: a BDO entry for every site, records in BDO, storage of hazardous waste, licensed waste collectors, and end-of-life vehicles. The guidebook PDF is in Polish.
The 5 environmental standards
Open a standard to see the law behind it, what is checked, what it can cost and the evidence. Ideal fix times are counted from audit submission.
ODP-01BDO registration7 days
- The law
- Waste Act · BDO register · End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Act · Waste Act: BDO register
- What we check
- Every branch that produces waste (oils, filters, batteries, tyres, paints) is entered in the BDO register, and the BDO number is on its documents.
- What it can cost
- Up to PLN 1,000,000 and possible imprisonment.
- Evidence
- BDO printout
ODP-02Records in BDO7 days
- The law
- Waste Act · BDO register · End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Act · waste records: record cards and transfer cards (KPO)
- What we check
- Every handover of waste has an electronic transfer card in BDO, and the record cards are kept up to date.
- What it can cost
- Fines for incorrect records and a WIOŚ inspection.
- Evidence
- BDO printouts
ODP-03Hazardous waste storage72 hours
- The law
- Waste Act · BDO register · End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Act · storage of hazardous waste
- What we check
- Used oils, filters, fluids and batteries are kept separate and labelled, in sealed containers on drip trays.
- What it can cost
- WIOŚ fines and liability for contamination.
- Evidence
- Photos
ODP-04Licensed waste collectors7 days
- The law
- Waste Act · BDO register · End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Act · waste handed only to companies with a permit and a BDO entry
- What we check
- Waste is collected only by companies with a permit and a BDO entry. We check this before handing it over.
- What it can cost
- Fines and joint liability for the waste.
- Evidence
- List of collectors
ODP-05End-of-life vehicles30 days
- The law
- Waste Act · BDO register · End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Act · End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Act: dismantling stations and collection points
- What we check
- Cars for scrapping go only to a dismantling station or collection point that issues a certificate of dismantling. Applies to dealers taking in cars for scrapping (for example in scrappage schemes).
- What it can cost
- Fines for illegal dismantling.
- Evidence
- Certificates
How to run a Polish waste and BDO register audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. Check that the company and every site producing waste has a BDO entry; the end-of-life vehicle standard applies to dealers taking cars for scrapping, and importing tyres, oils and batteries brings extra product fee duties.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 13 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Print the BDO register, compare waste collection invoices with KPO cards, look inside the municipal waste container, check each collector in BDO, and review cars taken for scrapping.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: BDO printouts, KPO cards, photos of waste storage, the list of collectors and certificates of dismantling.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from 72 hours to 30 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Boards: the size of the risk
- Service: running BDO and the waste store
- Auditors: KPO cards and collectors to check
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
