DEVELOPMENT OF MUNICIPAL AND PACKAGING
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN POLAND
Szpadt Ryszard, Lesz Krystyna, Górnikowski Wojciech
Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27,
ryszard.szpadt@pwr.wroc.pl
SITA Polska Sp. z o.o., 01-433 Warszawa, Ciołka 16, krystyna.lesz@sitagroup.pl
WAMECO S.C., 50-002 Kamieniec Wr., Malinowa 7, wameco@rubikon.pl
EXTENDED ABSTRACT
In last few years many developments in creation of integrated waste management system
in Poland took place. Increasing production of municipal and packaging wastes forces
municipalities and producers to undertake effective solutions of selective collection and
recykling of secondary materials from wastes.
Before joining EU Poland adopted European waste management legislation with few
transition periods for implementation of some specific tasks, like achievement of recycling
and recovery targets for packaging wastes, adjustment of existing landfills to comply with
the requirements of landfill directive, control of transboundary shipment of selected waste
materials from yellow list etc.
The national policy of waste management has been presented in National Waste
Management Plan which was accepted by Polish Government in October 2002 and
revised in December 2004. Waste Management Plans on subsequent levels of
administration (regional, county and community) have been prepared in last two years.
The general principles like: waste avoiding, minimization, recovery and recycling,
treatment before final landfilling, “pollutant pays”, rules of proximity and selfsufficiency in
waste recovery and disposal were adopted as foundamentals of rational waste
management in Poland.
The general quantitave targets adopted in National Plan refer to selective collection of
waste, recycling and recovery rates for waste packaging and reduction of biodegradables
in waste to be landfilled.
Selective collection of recyclables and biodegradables is
assumed as a prerequisite for further recycling and disposal steps for particular types of
wastes like green wastes, bulky wastes, demolition wastes, municipal hazardous wastes.
Adopted targets for efficiency of selective collection of particular streams and for
reduction of biodegradables are presented in table below:
Types of wastes
Bulky wastes – selective collection, recovery,
treatment
Construction & demolition wastes – selective
collection, recovery and treatment
Green wastes – selective collection, biological
recycling
Municipal hazardous wastes – selective collection,
treatment and disposal
Biodegradables – reduction in wastes to be landfilled
in comparison to biodegradables landfilled in 1995
2006
2010
2014
20 %
50 %
70 %
15 %
40 %
60 %
35 %
50 %
not
defined
15 %
50 %
80 %
15 %
25 %
50 %
(2013)
Specific targets have been imposed on producers of goods in packagings – they are
responsible for achieving special targets: 25 % recycling and 50 % recovery of
packaging wastes till 2007. For each year till 2007 the intermediate recykling targets
have been layed. According to the Polish law, those obligations could be realized directly
by the producers, by third persons or by recovery organizations (similar to DSD, Eco
Emballages etc.). Most of the producers charge those organizations with their
obligations to attain recycling targets. Packaging wastes create one of the biggest
streams of municipal wastes (114 kg/ inh. year in 2003) amounting now to ca. 25 % of
their production. Packaging wastes show the most dynamic trend of growth in
comparison to the other components of municipal wastes.
In 2002 and 2003 all recycling targets have been gained but some problems could occur
in coming years. Till now the recycling targets were achieved mainly by the collection of
industrial and commercial packaging, the contribution of packaging from household waste
was marginal. Now, because of exhausting simply available sources of some packaging
materials (mainly glass) from industry and commerce, further achievement of growing
recycling rates and total recovery rate needs cooperation between recovery organizations
and the municipalities in order to widely develop selective collection of packaging waste
as well as thermal treatment of household waste.
This will give an input for development of integrated systems of municipal and packaging
waste management. The reduction of biodegradables in waste to be landfilled should
amount to 75 % in 2010, 50 % in 2013 and 35 % in 2020 in relation to landfilled
biodegradable wastes in 1995. Recycling and recovery of biodegradable packagings
(paper, cardboard, wood) will support achieving those targets.
To support the realization of plans some necessary adjustments of waste management
legislation have been recently prepared by Polish government.
The most important changes concern:
o
introducing waste management fee to be payed by the citizens directly to the
municipalities, this gives the real control of the mayor over the municipal waste flow,
o
obligation to recover or dispose of untreated municipal wastes and wastewater
sludges in nearest installation located in the voivodship of their generation.
Present status of municipal waste management in Poland is characterized by very small
level of recycling and treatment and by domination of landfilling of raw untreated waste
(ca. 97 % of total municipal waste generation). There are in Poland 52 sorting plants, 54
composting and biological stabilization plants (total capacity 248.000 tons/year) and 1
incinerator (capacity 50.000 tons/year) under operation. Total generation of solid wastes
in municipal sector is estimated as 13,5 million tons per year (including ca. 3,5 million
tons of packaging materials) and the generation of wastewater sludges amounts to ca.
0,36 million tons (as dry matter). Predicted growth of generation of those wastes in 2006
amounts to ca. 16 million tons and 0,70 million tons respectively. The necessary
capacities for recycling, treatment and disposal (mechanical-biological and thermal) of
municipal wastes to reach the accepted targets for reduction of biodegradables to be
landfilled should amount to ca. 700.000 tons/year in 2006 and 4,1 million tons/year in
2010. Capacities of landfills will be consequently decreased but they still have to cover
the volumes of 47 million m3 till 2006, 44,5 million m3 in years 2007-2010 and 40 million
m3 in years 2011-2014. Ca. 80 % of the existing landfills will be closed before 2009
because of lack of economic and technical possibilities for their adjustment to the
requirements. The remaining ones will be reconstructed and equipped with all necessary
devices and installations.
Key words: Municipal waste management, packaging wastes, biodegradables, separate
collection, recykling, recovery, landfilling.