Warszawa, Poland - Waste management is among the priorities pursued by Professor Andrzej Kraszewski, Minister of the Environment. New Act to regulate important issues in waste management sector will be soon submitted for consideration to the Permanent Committee of the Council of Ministers. News Conference dedicated just to waste management issues was held on 21 June 2010, the aim of which was to present an innovative Municipal Waste Management System managed in Legionowo.

In this May, unique in Poland and titled „Just Compost It” action was launched in Legionowo under which free of charge composting receptacles designed for use by the local inhabitants in their private real estates were delivered. This action managed by the Legionowo Municipal Office, as financed with the Municipal budgetary resources allocated for environmental protection, is a part of a comprehensive Municipal Waste Management System introduced there in the last year.

The Legionowo Municipality, as one of only few Municipalities in Poland, has overtaken the waste collecting commitment from households, and entrusted it to the Municipal Services. In 2006, the local inhabitants, by way of a "Waste Referendum" granted their endorsement to this interesting solution. Introduction of this system contributed to definite minimising illegal discarding waste into forest and burning it at house, since it guarantees reception of any amount of waste for fixed, uniform price.

Municipal Waste Management System was set up in Legionowo on 1 July 2009. For the lump sums charged, the Municipality removed from the local inhabitants their commitment to conclude individual contracts with the companies dealing with shipment of waste. The new system covers all inhabitants and all types of mixed municipal waste originated from households.

The principle of selective collection of waste is overriding. In case of one-family houses, the "bag system" is mandatory with three types of sorted waste (blue bags containing waste paper and textiles, yellow bags for plastics, metals, glass and used multi-material packaging, and green ones for biodegradable waste) are collected, apart from collection of mixed waste. For multi-family buildings, the system of receptacles was introduced which consists in reception of waste through existing large collective containers, including those for selective collection of waste.

In order to encourage their inhabitants to participate in the system of selective collection of waste, the Municipality introduced low monthly charge amounting to 8.5 Zloty (2.12 Euro) per inhabitant occupying given location for reception of sorted waste. Another, higher charge (15 Zloty, i.e. 3.75 Euro) is imposed on the inhabitant who has refused to participate in the "selective" system. Both charges are inflicted on mandatory basis.

For this system to become yet more effective, a number of amendments are planned therein. These include, amongst others, an intensive awareness raising campaign to educate the inhabitants how to collect waste in a selective environmentally and friendly manner. Proposed will be also the advantageous conditions for disposal of construction waste (not yet covered by the system) and large-size waste, as well as waste electrical and electronic equipment. Since 1 July 2011, carrying out economic analysis of enhanced frequency of collection of greenery waste, large-size waste, as well as waste electrical and electronic equipment is planned in course of the work on preparation of the terms and conditions of another tender for reception of municipal waste. Application of financial incentives (e.g. in form of reduced charge rate, funding the composting receptacles, etc.) is also anticipated for the inhabitants who operate their household composting facilities for biodegradable waste.

Quelle: Ministry of the Environment, Poland

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