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Poland moves to 'greener' garbage collection

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 01.07.2013 14:20
New laws came into force today that see local municipalities take over responsibility for waste disposal in what has been billed as a more eco-friendly solution.

photo
photo - PAP/Wojciech Pacewicz

Previously, each household or business was expected to sign a contract with a waste disposal company (in apartment blocks an administrator did so), but problems emerged with rubbish being dumped illegally, either in neighbours' bins or in the wild, detrimentally to the environment.

The new system sees each household obliged to pay a monthly tax, calculated according to the number of residents, the size of the property and water usage.

Meanwhile, local municipalities themselves will be responsible for waste collection, disposal and recycling.

According to Poland's Ministry of Administration and Digitisation, 99 percent of the country's municipalities have organised tenders over prospective employment of companies to carry out the work.

Where new contracts have yet to be finalised, the old waste disposal companies will continue on a temporary basis, but households will still be compelled to pay the new monthly tax.

According to Eurostat, the official statistics office of the EU, some 60 kg of 315 kg waste produced by the average Pole in 2011 ended up as unprocessed litter (the EU average was 503 kg per person, from which 17 kg ended up as litter.

As regards actual treated rubbish, in Poland, 71 percent ended up in landfills, while 28 percent was recycled or composted, and 1 percent burnt.

Meanwhile, the EU average was estimated at 37 percent in landfills, 38 percent recycled or composted and 23 percent burnt. (nh)

Source: PAP, AFP

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