Waste management in Poland
Challenges in view of EU
requirements and legislative
changes; public opinion and
prospects
September 2011
Content
Introduction
5
The origin of the problem 6
1. EU law requirements and the national legislation
11
1.1. The strategic goals of the European Union and Poland
12
1.2. The key requirements of the EU law
14
1.3. Waste management legislation in Poland 17
1.4. Main obligations of local governments in the context of the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities 23
2. The current situation and the prospects for the development of waste management in Poland
29
2.1. Generation of municipal waste 30
2.2. Municipal waste disposal
35
2.3. Goals and forecasts concerning changes in waste management38
2.4. The existing and planned waste treatment installations 40
3. Case study – a well developed waste management system - the example of Stockholm 47
3.1. Municipal waste management in Sweden 48
3.2. Waste management in Stockholm
50
3.3. Some examples of thermal waste treatment projects implemented by Fortum
53
4. Thermal waste treatment plants in Poland 59
4.1. The necessity to increase the waste treatment capacity 60
4.2. Benefits and economic incentives for thermal waste treatment 63
4.3. Selected aspects of a ZTPOK construction project
66
5. Waste – a social problem 77
5.1. Introduction to the survey and summary of the conclusions
78
5.2. Opinions on the collection and disposal of waste in the place of residence 80
5.3. Opinions about accessibility of waste containers and the costs of collection and transport of waste
81
5.4. Waste management habits of city inhabitants
82
Conclusion
87
List of illustrations 92
List of abbreviations
93
Glossary 95
List of selected waste management legislation 97
Report preparation
98
Sources 99
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 3
Introduction
We are pleased to present to you a report prepared
jointly by Deloitte, Fortum and 4P research mix, a report
that describes the current state and the prospects of
waste management in Poland in view of European
Union requirements and national legislative changes.
Municipal waste management is one of the most
badly neglected and at the same time one of the most
urgent environmental issues for Poland. The waste
management system currently in place is not tight
enough (what means that quantity of waste produced
is greater than the quantity of waste collected), does
not cover all people living in Poland and results in
an excessive percentage of waste disposal to landfill
when, at the same time, there is insufficient modern
infrastructure and capacity for mechanical-biological
and thermal treatment of waste. The progress achieved
so far in separate waste collection at source, recovery
of energy and raw materials and recycling is not
satisfactory.
The issue of proper waste management, in the
context of changing legal environment and the
necessity to meet EU requirements, will pose
a significant challenge to local governments in the
nearest future. Municipalities will be required to take
over greater responsibility for the functioning of the
waste management system, including construction,
maintenance and operation of waste treatment
installations necessary to reduce the amount of landfill
waste and to raise the level of waste recovery and
recycling.
In order to meet modern environmental protection
requirements and to achieve the adopted targets,
Poland must make a dramatic qualitative change in the
organisation and methods of waste management. The
changes will not be possible without close cooperation
of all stakeholders, that is, local governments, the public
and businesses with proper experience and know-how.
The waste management sector provides also a number
of business opportunities, including logistics as well as
waste treatment with energy and materials recovery.
Whereas the attitude of the public is of primary
importance for the reduction of waste generation and
achieving appropriate levels of recycling.
Success in waste management will not only require local
governments to be professional in the way they manage
their network of service providers. They will also have
to be very competent in engaging in dialogue with the
public with the view to inducing desirable behavior and
building confidence in local authorities and the activities
they undertake in this area.
In this publication, we have focused on analysing
the above mentioned issues in Poland against the
background of the achievements and selected
experience of other EU member States, in particular
Sweden. The analysis of the EU legal requirements, the
national legislation and the current condition as well as
prospects for the development of waste management
in Poland have been supplemented with a case study
of a well-developed waste management system based
on the example of Stockholm and with the results of
a public opinion survey carried out among inhabitants
of the 7 largest Polish cities concerning waste collection
and management. We have selected these 7 cities for
the survey since, in our view, it will be these urban areas
that will face the biggest challenges in connection with
the reform of municipal waste management system.
We hope that with this publication we will contribute to
raising the awareness of the importance of these issues
and of the challenges and opportunities related to the
changes planned in the area of waste management.
The issues that we have decided to tackle may become
a starting point for planning and initiating the necessary
action and for continuing the dialogue between local
authorities, the public and companies operating on the
waste market.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 5
The origin of the problem
The advance of urbanisation
Cities constitute an integral element of our planet’s
landscape. The civilisational progress, achieved with
the effort of human hands and minds, changed their
character, size, forms of spatial development, transport,
it affected the relations between people, the comfort
of life. Over the last decades, the pace of development
has significantly increased. This also applies to urban
areas. Just by looking closer at the global urbanisation
statistics, we should be able to realise how big is the
scale of the phenomena we have to face. If in the
1960s about 25% of people lived in cities, nowadays
this number exceeds 50%. It is estimated that by 2050,
66% of the world population will live in cities. Already in
2009, in Poland more than 60% of the population lived
in cities.
Together with the migration of people motivated by
economic and social factors, cities keep growing and
become metropolises which, in turn, begin to have their
own problems such as ensuring the best possible public
transport infrastructure, supply of water and energy,
waste management or insufficient number of jobs.
These problems are directly linked with the challenges
faced by central administrations, local governments as
well as organisations operating in the economic sphere
– businesses, or social sphere – non-governmental
organisations. The answer which, after its adaptation to
the specific conditions, may offer an effective solution
for any organization, regardless of the type of its activity,
is a well-thought-out and consistently implemented
sustainable development strategy.
6
The need for sustainable development
The term “sustainable development” was used for the
first time in the report of the World Commission on
Environment and Development “Our Common Future”.
According to the authors of the report, sustainable
development is “development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”. What does it
mean in reference to an organism such as a city? In
simple words, it can be said that it means in-depth
understanding of the multifaceted economic, social
and environmental context of a city and aiming at its
development through seeking harmony with each of
these three areas. A more detailed interpretation of the
concept of sustainable development of cities was given
during a meeting of the United Nations Environment
Programme in Melbourne in 2002. Ten principles were
then formulated, the so called Melbourne Principles for
Sustainable Cities, which provide guidance for cities as
to the desirable direction of change on the road towards
sustainable development. Considering the diversity
of city structures in the world, these principles do not
provide a fixed framework and guidelines, but rather
give holistic advice in order to help decision makers
realise how many different elements are contained
in the concept of sustainable development. Both the
general aspects have been tackled there, such as for
example, the necessity to formulate a comprehensive
strategy, a transparent management system or
cooperation network, as well as individual aspects from
the sphere of economy (ensuring long-term economic
safety), society (fostering local values and history,
developing the involvement of local population) and
environment (minimizing the environmental pressure of
the city population).
Undoubtedly it is difficult to create one list that would
include all the aspects of the sustainable development
of cities. Their complexity as well as the systems
that operate within their structures, make drafting
a sustainable development strategy and setting priorities
a complex task, one that requires an individual, almost
“personal” approach. This abundance of environmental,
social and economic aspects of cities offers a great
chance related to the synergy effect, that is, combining
various systems in an innovative way, so that they
enhance one another and bring positive change on the
road towards sustainable development.
The example of Stockholm
In order to better understand the value of synergy,
it is worth having a closer look at the Stockholm
district of Hammarby Sjöstad, one of the most often
quoted examples of sustainable urban planning. The
houses there are heated with the heat generated from
biofuels, incinerated waste and solar panels placed
on rooftops. For cooking the inhabitants use biogas
generated during sewage treatment process. The
approach to waste management is also comprehensive.
Easy to burn municipal waste is put into containers
connected with a collection station with special pipes.
That is where waste collection tracks come and carry
the collected waste to the waste incineration plant
(a combined heat and power station using municipal
waste as fuel). Separate containers are used for paper,
metal, plastic and glass so as to facilitate recycling.
Hazardous waste is, in turn, sent for safe treatment.
And that is not all. The district designers have optimised
the public transport (in Stockholm, the share of public
transport, bicycles and walking in everyday commuting
to and from work is 93%, which is a European record),
car-pooling, that is, short-term car hire, has been
popularised, big green areas have been designed, a rich
variety of sports and cultural activities have been offered
to the inhabitants. Hammarby Sjöstad is one of the most
impressive sustainable communities ever created.
In 2010, the European Commission awarded Stockholm
the title of the European Green Capital. The award
is given for activities of the city aimed to protect
natural environment and improve the quality of life
of its inhabitants. One of the elements taken into
consideration by the Jury was the modern waste
management system. Obviously, many more positive
examples could be given. For instance, Copenhagen is
famous for restricting car transport and an impressive
network of bicycle paths, Curitiba in Brasil has a very
well developed bus transport system and one of the
highest recycling ratios in the world. What is the
situation of Polish cities against this background?
Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go before
we have a sustainable city, that is, a healthy community
where it is pleasant for people to live. Few Poles do
not complain every day about the time they waste
in traffic jams1 and, even though, we may not realise
that, every year in our cities we produce almost 9
million tons of municipal waste (more than 70% of all
municipal waste produced in Poland), the majority of
which is transported and deposited on landfills without
recovering the energy or materials they contain.
1
Deloitte Raport o korkach w 7 największych miastach Polski
[Report on traffic congestion in the 7 biggest Polish cities], which
includes estimates of economic costs of traffic congestion.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 7
The requirement for modern waste management
By ratifying the Accession Treaty in 2003, Poland
took on a number of commitments which, in the
area of protection of human life and environment,
include achieving strategic targets concerning waste
management, such as reduction of landfill municipal
waste and increase of recycling levels as well as
preparing certain selected raw material waste fractions
for reuse.
Currently in Poland, in spite of many years of efforts to
build modern municipal waste treatment installations
(such as, e.g. installations for thermal and mechanicalbiological treatment of waste), which constitute an
indispensable element of a modern comprehensive
waste management system, still most of the municipal
waste collected over the year is deposited on landfills.
In Poland there is only one operating installation
for thermal treatment of municipal waste, located
in Warsaw, in Targówek district. Whereas in the
“old” member states there are several hundred such
installations. They are developed, modernized, new ones
are constructed and their presence is not contested
by local communities as people realise the benefits of
such a method of waste disposal, that is, incinerating it,
while recovering electricity and heat. These incinerating
plants are often located in big cities (e.g. Paris, Vienna,
Stockholm) and play the role of installations necessary
for the reduction of the amount of waste and for
landfilling only limited amounts of pre-treated secondary
waste. We may try to reduce the amount of generated
The main problems of municipal waste management in Poland:
1.The most popular way of waste disposal in Poland is landfilling (approximately
78% of the municipal waste collected in 2009). Several hundred landfill sites
must be closed down and recultivated because they do not meet the required
technical and legal standards;
2.Poland lacks modern infrastructure for treatment of municipal waste (such as
sufficient number and capacity of installations for mechanical-biological and
thermal treatment of waste). A problem that needs to be solved is disposal of
waste during the transition period, between closure of landfill sites and launching
of waste treatment installations;
3.So far Poland has made little progress in sorting and separate collection of waste
at source, including hazardous waste that appears in the flow of mixed municipal
waste, and in materials recovery and recycling;
4.The waste management system is not tight enough. Not all inhabitants,
especially in rural areas, are included in an organised system of municipal waste
collection and some undesirable phenomena occur: grey economy, illegal waste
disposal and handling of waste at home (e.g. burning it).
8
waste; however, with the projected growth of GDP and
the current production and consumption patterns, it
is forecasted that, at least until 2020, the amount of
municipal waste requiring treatment will grow. In view
of the depletion of natural resources and the necessity
to preserve the areas of natural and landscape value,
with the limits of emission to water and to atmosphere
getting stricter and stricter, the mechanical-biological
and thermal methods of municipal waste treatment,
with usable materials separated at source and recycled,
are some of the basic solutions, vital for creating
a modern and comprehensive waste management
system. In Polish conditions, building of such a system
also provides an opportunity to use significant EU funds
for this purpose.
Legislative changes
The issues related to municipal waste management in
Poland, its model, its financial, legal and technological
aspects, and first of all, the proposed direction of
changes, are currently the subject of a very hot debate
between the central government, local authorities, nongovernmental organisations and companies operating
on the market of collection, transport, treatment and
recycling of waste. The direction of changes has, to
a great extent, already been decided after the adoption
by the parliament of the Act of 1 July 2011 on the
amendment to the act on maintaining cleanliness and
order in municipalities and to some other acts. This Act
has already provoked an emotional response on the
part of local governments and businesses, regardless
of the detailed solutions which will be set forth in the
secondary legislation, because of the scope of changes
it has introduced, and in particular, the mandatory
assumption by the municipalities of the obligation to
handle the waste and the introduction of the so called
“garbage tax”.
When preparing the outline for the amendment
of the Act on maintaining cleanliness and order
in municipalities, the Ministry of Environment
(MEnv) advocated the introduction of such a waste
management system that is in place in other EU member
states, apart from Poland and Hungary. During a public
presentation of the proposed changes, the Minister of
Environment, Prof. Andrzej Kraszewski, used the word
“revolution”, expecting that the Act would result in:
(i) making the system tight, (ii) solving the problem of
illegal waste disposal, (iii) effective supervision over the
quality of waste management, and (iv) eliminating the
uncertainty as to the provision of waste flow to the
planned thermal waste treatment plants. There have
also been a number of critical opinions, particularly
from the private companies, which for the last 20 years,
have given shape to the market of waste collection and
transport and invested in the construction of various
installations, for instance, sorting plants or alternative
fuel production. The critics of the adopted solutions
point to the new tax and express their fear of the
limitation of competition and excessive power given
into the hands of administrative officials. The MEnv
is currently working on the amendment to the Act
on waste and the Act on management of packaging
and packaging waste. The adoption of these two
acts planned for 2011 will make it possible to fully
transpose into the Polish law the EU directives on waste
management.
The waste management targets for Poland are set
forth in the National Waste Management Plan adopted
by the Council of Ministers on 24 December 2010,
covering the years 2011-2014 and outlook for the years
2015-2022 (KPGO 2014). Whether the new legislation
will give momentum to effective waste management
in Poland, consistent with the adopted targets and
guidelines, will depend, largely, on local governments
themselves, on the efficiency and comprehensiveness
with which they will implement the new system.
Municipalities are obliged to prepare detailed solutions,
adapted to their local conditions, and to adopt the
appropriate resolutions (e.g. on the level and manner of
collecting charges for waste management from property
owners) within 12 months from entering into force of
the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order
in municipalities, that is from 1 January 2012. This is
not a long period of time – especially for the biggest
cities – if we consider the whole list of duties taken
over by local governments and the challenges related to
achieving the waste management targets that Poland
has taken upon itself.
Issues of key importance for local governments:
1.How to engage in effective dialogue with the public and how to involve the
inhabitants in proper handling of waste, including sorting of municipal waste at
source?
2.What priorities should be adopted with respect to investment needs, including
insufficient capacity of the regional waste treatment installations? What should
be the amounts and the sources of funding for such investment projects?
3.How to effectively manage the cooperation network of services and technology
suppliers and how to use the knowledge and experience of these companies in
order to solve local problems? How to be effective in using the best practices and
methods of waste management developed in more advanced countries?
4.What budget and organisational structures should be provided to achieve the
adopted waste management targets, including the inspection of contracts with
waste handling companies and creating an effective information policy?
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 9
1. EU law requirements and the national legislation
1.1. The strategic goals of the European Union and Poland
Implementing the principles of sustainable
development, protection of the environment and
efficient use of resources are important goals of the
EU policy reflected in the EU law and the
documents which set the strategic direction for
development, such as the Europe 2020 Strategy.
On joining the EU in 2004, Poland has become a subject
of the supranational regional policy. The cohesion policy
involves a significant part of the EU budget and thanks
to the projects implemented with the financial support
from the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Funds,
Poland has a chance for faster development and for
reaching convergence with other EU member states.
One of the important aims of the EU policy is to
implement the principles of sustainable development
where protection of the environment and rational
use of resources are the main priorities. On the other
hand, one of the most important elements of the EU
environmental policy, included in the action plans for the
protection of environment, is waste management. The
operational targets here include transformation towards
low carbon economy, elimination of waste generation at
source and support for efficient use of natural resources
by promoting their reuse, in particular – their recycling.
The issues of environmental protection and waste
management have been reflected in the strategic
documents both at the EU level (Lisbon Strategy 2000,
Renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy 2006,
Community Strategic Guidelines 2007-2013, The
Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European
Community 2002-2012 and the Europe 2020 Strategy)
as well as at the national level (National Development
Strategy 2007-2015, National Strategic Reference
Framework 2007-2013, National Reform Programme
2008-2011, Long-term National Development Strategy
“Poland 2030. The Third Wave of Modernity”, Mediumterm National Development Strategy together with the
ten integrated national strategies, and the National
Reform Programme for the implementation of the
Europe 2020 Strategy as well as the National Waste
Management Plan 2014).
Europe 2020 Strategy
The Europe 2020 Strategy is a new long-term EU social
and economic development programme, which has
replaced the Lisbon Strategy, implemented since 2000,
modified five years later. The new strategy highlights the
need for joint action of the member states to overcome
the economic crisis and to implement reforms enabling
them to face the challenges of globalisation, ageing
societies and the growing need for rational use of
resources.
In order to achieve the above goals, three basic,
mutually reinforcing priorities have been proposed:
• smart growth, that is growth based on knowledge
and innovation;
• sustainable growth, that is transformation towards
low carbon economy, efficient in the use of resources
and competitive;
• inclusive growth, that is fostering a highemployment economy delivering economic, social
and territorial cohesion.
12
The main instruments to achieve the goals of the Europe
2020 Strategy are the National Reform Plans prepared
by all EU member states as well as the Seven Flagship
Initiatives prepared by the European Commission.
The flagship initiative no. 3 is Resource Efficient
Europe, including activities that should lead to
decoupling economic growth from the use of resources,
support the shift towards a low carbon economy which
makes better use of the potential offered by renewable
energy sources. This project is expected to develop
a vision of structural and technological changes by 2050
that will make the EU economy environmentally friendly
and at the same time resilient to climate change.
The National Reform Programme for the
Implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy
The National Reform Programme for the Implementation
of the Europe 2020 Strategy (NRP) is a document
describing the way in which Poland is going to respond
to the challenge it will face. The structure of NRP
assumes co-relation between the Polish development
goals and the priorities set forth in the Europe 2020
Strategy. At the same time, the NRP is not only a tool for
implementing the Europe 2020 strategy but, first of all,
it is an instrument which, by taking into consideration
the specific nature of the Polish situation and the specific
challenges Poland faces, responds to the national
barriers to growth.
NRP proposes action focusing both on catching up (in
the section “Infrastructure for sustainable growth”)
and on gaining new competitive advantage for the
Polish economy (sections: “Innovation for smart growth”
and “Activity for inclusive growth”). Within Infrastructure
for sustainable growth, a set of activities and tasks
should be highlighted including Development and
modernization of environmental protection
infrastructure related to the flagship initiative Resource
Efficient Europe. For the year 2011, it has been
envisaged that the Ministry of Environment will continue
the reform of the waste management system, including
the amendment of the Act on maintaining cleanliness
and order in municipalities and the amendment of the
Act on waste, which will allow the full transposition
of the provisions of the European Parliament and the
Council directives on waste management.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 13
1.2. The key requirements of the EU law
The key legislative acts regulating the waste
management issues at the EU level include: the Directive
2008/98/EC on waste (the so called Framework
Directive), Directive 99/31/EC on the landfill of waste
(the so called Landfill Directive), Directive 2000/76/EC
on the incineration of waste and Directive 94/62/EC on
packaging and packaging waste (the so called Packaging
Directive).
Table 1.1. The key EU legislation regulating waste management issues
Directive on waste
(Framework Directive)
Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste
and repealing certain Directives (Official Journal L312
of 22.11.2008)
Directive on the landfill of
waste (Landfill Directive)
Directive 99/31/EC of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of
waste (Official Journal L 182 of 16.07.1999)
Directive on the
incineration of waste
Directive 2000/76/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 4 December 2000 on the
incineration of waste (Official Journal L 332 of
28.12.2000.
Directive on packaging
and packaging waste
(Packaging Directive)
Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging
waste (Official Journal L 365 of 31.12.1994, pp.
10-23, amended by the Directives 1882/2003/EC,
2004/12/EC, 2005/20/EC)
Source: EU, author’s compilation
Figure 1.1. Waste management hierarchy
Prevention
Preparing for re-use
Recycling
Other recovery,
including energy recovery
Disposal
Source: Author’s own compilation
14
The Directive introduced a hierarchy of the methods of
waste management in order to ensure that individual
member states would promote the solutions that are
best for the environment. For some streams of waste it
is possible to depart from this hierarchy if it is justified
by applying the life-cycle methodology which takes
into account the total impact connected with the
manufacturing and the management of waste.
The waste management hierarchy describes the actions
from the most to the least preferable:
1.Reduction – means action taken before a given
material, product or substance becomes waste,
in order to reduce the volume of waste or its
harmfulness;
2.Preparation for re-use – means any process as a result
of which substances, products or materials which are
not waste are re-used for their original purpose;
3.Recycling – means any process of recovery as a result
of which waste is converted into materials or
substances re-used for their original purpose or for
any other purpose, including organic recycling. It does
not include energy recovery and converting waste
into fuel;
Most
desirable
Least
desirable
Framework Directive
The Framework Directive consolidated the EU legislation
on waste management by unifying the earlier provisions,
it introduced precise legal definitions and gave priority
to the principle of reducing the impact of the generated
waste on the environment. The Directive obliges the
member states to take action to support waste recovery
and emphasises the importance of the so called separate
collection of waste “at source”.
4.Other recovery processes, including energy recovery –
means primarily thermal treatment of waste with the
recovery of electricity and heat as well as converting
waste into fuel;
5.Environmentally sound disposal – means any
other process of waste management which is not
recovery, compliant with environmental protection
requirements, e.g. landfill of waste.
The Directive obliges the member states to ensure the
appropriate level of environmentally sound disposal
and recovery of waste, and in particular it imposes the
following time limits for meeting these requirements:
•By 2015 to introduce separate collection of waste, at
least such as metal, paper, plastics and glass;
•By 2020 to ensure the re-use and recycling of the
following fractions of municipal waste: paper, metals,
plastics and glass at the level of minimum 50% by
weight;
•By 2020 to ensure the re-use, recycling and other
ways of utilising the materials, including backfilling
operations using non-hazardous construction and
demolition waste, at the level of minimum 70% by
weight.
In addition, the Directive also describes two basic
principles of waste management which should be
reflected in the legislation of individual member states:
•Principle of self-sufficiency and proximity
– member states, individually or in cooperation,
establish an integrated and adequate network
of installations for recovery or disposal of mixed
municipal waste with the use of appropriate methods
and technology ensuring high level of protection of
the environment and public health;
•“Polluter-pays” principle – stating that the costs
of waste management must be borne by the original
waste producer or by the current or previous waste
holders.
The Framework Directive also includes a number
of detailed regulations concerning the procedures
for disposing of certain groups of waste (especially
hazardous waste, biodegradable waste, waste oils and
packaging waste).
Landfill Directive
The Landfill Directive sets forth the general rules for
reducing the environmentally negative impact of the
landfill of waste, especially preventing the emission of
methane, the most harmful of the greenhouse gases
and pollution of ground water and soil during the
lifetime of the landfill. The Directive sets operational
and technological requirements for landfills as well
as the required effects in reduction of the landfill of
biodegradable waste.
Among other things, the Directive states that member
states set up national strategies for the reduction
of biodegradable waste going to landfills, including
measures leading to the achievement of the adopted
reduction targets, by means of, in particular, recycling,
composting, biogas production and materials/energy
recovery.
The Directive has set the following targets for the
member states:
•not later than five years after the transposition date
laid down in the Directive, that is by 16 July 2006,
biodegradable municipal waste going to landfills must
be reduced to 75% of the total amount (by weight) of
biodegradable municipal waste produced in 1995.
•not later than eight years after the transposition, that
is by 16 July 2009, biodegradable municipal waste
going to landfills must be reduced to 50% of the total
amount (by weight) of biodegradable municipal waste
produced in 1995.
•not later than 15 years after the transposition, that
is by 16 July 2016, biodegradable municipal waste
going to landfills must be reduced to 35% of the total
amount (by weight) of biodegradable municipal waste
produced in 1995.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 15
A 4-year derogation of the above mentioned deadlines
has been introduced for those member states (including
Poland) which in 1995, or the latest year before 1995
for which EUROSTAT data is available, put more than
80% of their municipal waste to landfill.
Whereas under Art. 6 of the Landfill Directive, Poland
is obliged to take measures in order to ensure that only
waste that has been subject to treatment is landfilled,
that is, waste that has been subject to appropriate
physical, thermal or biological processes, including
sorting, which change the properties of the waste to
reduce its volume or hazardous properties, make it
easier to handle or assist recovery.
In addition, the Directive obliges the member states to
ensure that all of the costs involved in the operation
of a landfill site, including the estimated costs of the
closure and after-care of the site for a period of at least
30 years be covered by the price to be charged by the
operator of that site.
Directive on the incineration of waste
Directive on the incineration of waste introduces some
rigorous conditions for operation and emission levels
for thermal waste treatment plants in order to reduce,
as much as possible, the negative effects of emissions
caused by incineration of waste. The Directive also
states that the heat produced during the incineration
process should be recovered as far as practicable.
16
Packaging Directive
The Packaging Directive proposes reduction of the
weight and volume of packaging and obliges the
member states to prevent the generation of packaging
waste, to introduce programmes for return or collection
from the users and from waste sorting, of packaging
waste and to implement systems for recovery or re-use
of the packaging within the limits set forth in the
Directive.
1.3. Waste management legislation in Poland
Poland, as an EU member state, is obliged to harmonise
its law with the EU requirements, which, in the area of
waste management, imposes, inter alia, the obligation
to reduce the volume of landfill waste and to achieve
appropriate levels of preparation for re-use, recovery
and recycling of the selected fractions of municipal
waste.
The principles of disposal of individual types of waste,
responsibilities of local government as regards waste
management and the legal instruments enabling
the achievement of the targets set in the National
Environmental Policy and in the National Waste
Management Plan 2014, covering the years 2011-214
with outlook for the years 2015-2022 (KPGO 2014),
all that is defined in a number of normative acts of the
statute rank as well as in executory regulations issued
by the relevant ministers. Parts of these acts implement
the EU policies and practice into the Polish legislation,
following the principle that the original waste producer
and holder of waste should dispose of it in a way that
guarantees high level of environmental protection and
that the EU member states shall create legal instruments
enabling the implementation of the above mentioned
goals.
The waste management systems of individual local
government units are based on the acts of local
law, which set out the principles and priorities
concerning the management of waste at the level of
municipalities [gmina], counties [powiat] and provinces
[województwo], also in a manner consistent with the
following acts of Polish law: Act Law on environmental
protection, Act on municipal government, Act on
municipal services management, Act on waste, Act on
maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities,
Act on packaging and packaging waste, Act on public
finance and other acts listed in the “List of selected
waste management legislation” attached to this report.
The responsibilities of local governments
concerning waste management are set forth
primarily by the provisions of two acts of
parliament: Act on waste and Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities.
According to the provisions of the Act on municipal
government, the municipality’s own tasks include
meeting the collective needs of the community which
include issues such as maintaining cleanliness and order,
maintaining sanitary facilities as well as waste landfill
sites and disposal of municipal waste.
As far as municipal waste management is concerned,
the role of the local government has been described,
primarily, in the provisions of the two acts: Act on waste
and the Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities. Adopting amendments to these acts,
together with passing of the Act on packaging and
packaging waste, will enable full transposition of the EU
directives described above into the Polish law.
Act on waste
The Act on waste is an act of law of primary importance
for waste management in Poland. First of all, it sets
the main principles for this area, by introducing
the hierarchy of waste management into the Polish
law. According to the contents of the Act, whoever
undertakes action which causes or may cause
generation of waste, should plan, design and carry out
such action so as to: (1) prevent generation of waste or
reduce the volume of waste and its negative impact on
the environment during the manufacturing of products,
during their use and after the completion of their use;
(2) provide for waste recovery in accordance with the
principles of environmental protection if generation of
waste could not have been prevented; (3) provide for
the disposal of waste in accordance with the principles
of environmental protection if the generation of the
waste could not have been prevented and of waste
which could not have been recovered.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 17
The Act also provides that the management of waste
cannot take place in a manner inconsistent with the
provisions on environmental protection whereas the
holder of waste is obliged to handle the waste in
the manner consistent with the waste management
principles, environmental protection requirements and
the waste management plans. The waste management
plans are adopted at the national level by the central
administration (Council of Ministers), and in the regions
– by local government units.
The current provisions of the Act on waste state that
the mandatory municipality’s own tasks with respect to
waste management include the following:
• To ensure that all the inhabitants are covered by
an organised system of collection of all types of
municipal waste;
• To create conditions for the operation of a system of
separate gathering and collection of municipal waste;
• To ensure the construction, maintenance and
operation, on its own or jointly with other
municipalities or companies, of installations and
equipment for recovery, disposal of municipal waste
or to provide conditions for construction, maintaining
and operation of installations and equipment
for recovery and disposal of municipal waste by
entrepreneurs;
• To initiate and facilitate the creation of points for
collection of waste electric and electronic equipment,
designating sites where collection of used equipment
from inhabitants can be carried out and undertaking
information and educational activities with this
respect;
• Obligations related to joint preparation of the waste
management plan, serving the purpose of meeting
the targets set forth in the national environmental
policy and implementing the principles of the proper
management of waste.
The Act on waste also precisely defines the competence
of individual bodies pertaining to issuance of permits
for carrying out business in the area of: collection or
transport of waste, recovery or disposal of waste,
decisions ordering removal of waste from places not
designated for their landfilling or storage.
18
The provisions of the Act on waste apply to entities that
generate at least 0.1 ton of hazardous waste, obliging
them to obtain a decision approving their programme
for hazardous waste management. Entities that
generate not more than 0.1 ton of hazardous waste or
less than 0.5 ton of other waste are obliged to submit
to the competent authorities information about the
waste they generate and the way in which they manage
this waste. If an entity generates more than one ton of
hazardous waste or more than 5 thousand tons of other
waste, it should apply for a permit.
One must remember, however, that on entry into
force of the provisions amending the Act on waste
(introduced with the Act dated 13 May 2011 on the
amendment of the Act on maintaining cleanliness and
order in municipalities and certain other acts, see Sejm
Print No. 3670), as of 1 January 2012, the detailed tasks
of municipalities in the area of waste management shall
be described in full in the Act on maintaining cleanliness
and order in municipalities, which will be discussed
further down in the report. On the other hand, the tasks
of the local government at the province level will not
change, as they will still be obliged, as part of their own
tasks, to construct, maintain and operate installations
and equipment for recovery and disposal of waste,
including hazardous waste separated from municipal
waste.
The amendment of the Act on waste planned for 2011
will transpose into the Polish law the Directive 2008/98/
EC on waste (the Framework Directive). The draft of the
Act on waste, prepared on the basis of the [...] adopted
by the Council of Ministers on 8 July 2010, refers to the
5-tier waste management hierarchy and to the main
principles for managing waste: the self-sufficiency and
proximity principle and the “Polluter pays” principle. The
draft of the Act on waste provides new definitions of
the selected terms important for waste management:
it defines the individual categories of waste, provides
examples of measures that can be used to prevent
generation of waste, differentiates recovery from waste
disposal and explains the details of individual methods
of waste disposal (e.g. preparing for re-use, separate
collection, recycling, thermal treatment of waste).
Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities
On 1 July 2011, after considering the amendments
proposed by the Senate, the Sejm adopted the Act
amending the Act on maintaining cleanliness and
order in municipalities, which describes the tasks of
municipalities related to the management of waste in
the municipality area, the duties of property owners
and the conditions for carrying out business activity
consisting in collection of waste.
Regardless of the ultimate shape of the detailed
solutions that will be described in the executory
regulations issued to the amended Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities, it is already
possible to say that it will introduce significant changes
in the management of waste in municipalities. Taking
into account the importance of these changes for the
local government we have discussed these issues in
detail in the following section of the report.
The summary of the selected duties of property owners,
entities collecting or disposing of waste and those of
the municipalities in the current and the future waste
management system in Poland, as provided for by the
amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities, is presented in the Table below.
Table 1.2. The current and the target system of waste management in Poland – selected duties of the stakeholders
Current system
(current legal situation)
Stakeholders
Target system (amendment of the Act on maintaining cleanliness
and order in municipalities)
Property owners
Every property owner is obliged to sign
a contract for the collection of waste
with a company holding a license for
carrying out business activity in the area
of collection and transport of municipal
waste.
Property owners will be obliged to pay a fee to the municipality for
management of waste. The fee will either be a fixed amount to be paid by
a household or it will be a product of the rate set by the Municipality Council
and the number of people living on the property, the amount of water used
or the area of the premises.
Entities collecting or
disposing of waste
Entities collecting waste are obliged to
provide the municipality authorities with
information about the contracts signed
with property owners. In addition, these
companies are obliged to submit to the
municipality authorities reports on the
management of municipal waste.
In the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities,
the license for carrying out business activity consisting in collection and
transport of waste will be replaced with an entry into the register of
regulated business activity. The entry into the register will be made on the
basis of a declaration filed by the business. Business interested in carrying
out business activity of collection and transport or disposal of waste will
participate in public tenders organised by municipalities and will sign
appropriate contracts for the provision of these services with municipalities.
Municipalities
Municipalities shall be obliged to maintain
register of contracts between property
owners and companies. If a property
owner fails to sign a contract with
a company, the municipality should carry
out the so called substitute performance
(charge the property owner with a fee
imposed by way of a decision and
arrange the collection of municipal waste
from such owner). If within the area of
a municipality no companies carry out
municipal waste collection activity, the
municipality is obliged to organise a waste
collection system for all its inhabitants.
Municipalities will be obliged to organise the collection of municipal waste
from the owners of inhabited properties and, in addition, make a decision
concerning collection of waste from uninhabited properties where municipal
waste is still generated. In particular, municipalities will be obliged to
organise a public tender for collection of municipal waste or a tender for
collection and disposal of such waste. The municipality council, by way of
resolution, will set the charges for the management of waste. When setting
such charges, the volume of generated waste will be taken into account as
well as the costs of operating the system of municipal waste management
(that is, the costs of collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, the
costs of creating and maintaining the points for separate collection of waste
and the administrative costs of the system).
Source: Author’s own compilation
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 19
In the context of achieving the strategic goals of
Poland with respect to waste management, under the
amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities, municipalities have been obliged to the
following:
1.To reduce the mass of biodegradable waste sent to
landfill:
• by 16 July 2013 to no more than 50% by weight;
• by 16 July 2020 to no more than 35% by weight;
relative to the mass of waste generated in 1995; and
2.To achieve by 31 December 2020:
• The level of recycling and preparation for re-use of
the following fractions of municipal waste: paper,
metals, plastics and glass of at least 50% by weight;
and
• The level of recycling, preparation for re-use
and recovery with the use of other methods of
construction and demolition non-hazardous waste
of at least 70% by weight.
Table 1.3. The annual level of recovery and recycling required under the Act
on packaging and packaging waste
Type of packaging
Total packaging
2010
2014
% level
% level
recovery
recycling
recovery
recycling
53%
35%
60%
55%
Plastic packaging
18%
22.5%
Aluminumn packaging
45%
50%
Steel packaging, including
steel sheet
33%
50%
Paper and cardboard
packaging
52%
60%
Household glass packaging
except ampules
43%
60%
Wood packaging
15%
15%
Source: Act on packaging and packaging waste
20
As regards the issue of reducing the mass of waste
sent to landfill, attention should also be drawn to
the requirements of the Regulation of the Minister
of Economy dated 12 June 2007 (Journal of Laws
of 2007, No. 121, item 832) setting the criteria for
allowing waste, other than hazardous or inert waste,
to be landfilled. In accordance with the Regulation,
as of 1 January 2013, it will not be possible to landfill
waste from group 20 (municipal waste together with
separately collected fractions) and that with selected
codes from group 19 (including non-hazardous waste
from mechanical treatment), with the total organic
carbon content higher than 5% of dry matter, and the
gross calorific value higher than 6 MJ/kg of dry matter.
Act on packaging and packaging waste
The Act on packaging and packaging waste,
transposing the provisions of the Packaging Directive,
sets the required annual recovery levels for packaging
in general and for recycling of packaging in general and
for individual types of packaging. These requirements
are presented in the table below, for the years from
2010 and from 2014, respectively.
The existing system of waste management imposes an
obligation on every entrepreneur who releases packaged
products on the market to ensure the appropriate level
of recovery and recycling of packaging waste. The
entrepreneurs who fail to achieve the required levels are
obliged to pay the product fee calculated with reference
to the difference between the required and the achieved
levels of recovery and recycling. Entrepreneurs may fulfill
the above duties on their own or by vesting it in a waste
recovery organisation.
However, the current system does not ensure the actual
implementation of the Packaging Directive provisions,
with the particular danger that Poland will not achieve
the levels of recovery and recycling of packaging waste
required for 2014. In spite of the fact that the provisions
concerning management of packaging waste have been
in operation in Poland since 2002, some businesses still
fail to fulfill their duties imposed by those provisions.
That was the reason why the MEnv decided to start
work on the new Act on the management of packaging
and packaging waste, which would cover all the issues
related to packaging management, so far regulated by
two acts: the Act on packaging and packaging waste
and the Act on the obligations of entrepreneurs with
respect to the management of certain waste and on
product fee. The MEnv expects that the change of
the law will make it possible to undertake the action
necessary to avoid the financial penalties for failure to
fulfill the obligations in this respect imposed on Poland
as a member of the EU.
It is assumed that recovery and recycling of waste will
be growing in significance because of the increasing
prices of raw materials and energy. Packaging
waste is generated at all levels of the supply chain
(manufacturing, logistics and sales), but first of all, it is
generated in households by consumers as end users of
products. KPGO 2014 points to the necessity to increase
the mass of packaging waste collected separately in
households and to the following ways of preventing
the generation of packaging waste: (i) the ecological
design criterion in product development, (ii) extended
liability of manufacturers, (iii) extension of product
lifetime, reducing the mass of packaging and increasing
the share of re-usable packaging, and (iv) environmental
system of packaging marking for consumers.
The key legal requirements for waste
management
The analysis of the above mentioned legal acts indicates
the significant increase of the requirements for waste
management in Poland to be introduced in the coming
years. These requirements have been presented in the
diagram below.
In addition, the KPGO 2014 sets additional waste
management targets to be achieved in the years 2012,
2014 and 2016, respectively:
• To reduce the number of landfill sites for nonhazardous and inert waste where municipal waste is
sent, from 520 existing as on 31 December 2008 to
maximum 200 landfill sites in 2014 and to recultivate
the closed down sites;
• To reduce the share of landfill municipal waste in all
generated waste, from 86.6% in 2008 to 60% in
2014;
• In 2012, to collect 25% of the used portable batteries
and accumulators, and to achieve the collection level
of 45% in 2016.
Biodegradable
waste
Figure 1.2. Key legal requirements for waste management in Poland
To reduce to 75% the
biodegradable
municipal waste sent to
landfill sites in
comparison to the mass
of such waste
generated in 1995.
To reduce to 35% the
biodegradable
municipal waste sent to
landfill sites in
comparison to the mass
of such waste
generated in 1995.
To reduce to 50% the
biodegradable municipal
waste sent to landfill sites
in comparison to the mass
of such waste generated in
1995 .
50%redukcji
odpadów
bio-degradowalnych
53% of recovery
annually and
35% of recycling
annually of the total
volume of packaging
2010
2012
60% of recovery
annually
55% of recycling
annually of the total
volume of packaging
2013
2014
wstosunku
d o1995r.
Raw materials
waste
Packaging
Waste landfilling criteria:
- Total organic carbon (TOC) max. 5% of dry matter
- Loss on ignition (LOI) max. 8% of dry matter
- Gross calorific value max. 6 MJ/kg of dry
matter
To prepare waste for re-use
and recycling: paper and
cardboard, plastics, metals,
glass minimum 50% by
weight
2020
Source: Author’s own compilation
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 21
Sanctions and financial penalties
As far as sanctions in waste management are
concerned, it should be indicated that as a result of
failure to fulfill the obligations under the EU and national
law, financial penalties will be imposed which, indirectly,
may also affect the inhabitants. In the current legal
situation, failure to reduce the mass of biodegradable
municipal waste sent to landfill is threatened with the
penalty from 40 to 200 thousand PLN, depending of
the extent of the default. Whereas failure to organise
the system for separate collection of waste is threatened
with the penalty in the amount between 10 and 40
thousand PLN.
In future, the provisions setting the above mentioned
sanctions will, if the amendment is adopted, be
transferred from the Act on waste to the Act on
maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities. The
appropriate bodies will be able to impose a financial
penalty on entities participating in the municipal
waste management system, including businesses and
municipalities. However, due to the extended vacatio
legis, the majority of penalty-related provisions will enter
into force only on 1 January 2013.
An additional sanction are the financial penalties that
may be imposed on Poland as a result of failure to
fulfill the obligations set forth in the European law. In
particular, the obligations related to the reduction of
landfill waste under the Directive on landfill of waste
(Art. 5). This Directive, however, does not explicitly
state that a member state may be penalized for not
implementing its provisions into the domestic law.
In this respect, a penalty is imposed following the
general procedure, that is, in particular, under Art. 260
of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (formerly:
Art. 228 of the Treaty Establishing the European
Community). Under this provision, the European
Commission may, in a situation when a member state
fails to fulfill its duties (e.g. those imposed by a directive)
apply to the Court of Justice of the European Union for
imposing a financial penalty on such a state in the form
of a lump sum or a penalty payment. The Commission
may specify the amount of such a penalty, taking into
account the gravity of the infringement and the state’s
financial ability. The Court may sustain the case brought
by the Commission, may, while sustaining it, change the
amount of penalty, or it may dismiss the case.
The Commission issues the guidelines including the
amounts of penalty for which it will apply in case of
an infringement. The guidelines are updated every
three years. Currently, the lump sum penalty for Poland
amounts to 4 163 000 Euro whereas the penalty
payment, calculated, inter alia, taking into account
the member state’s GDP, according to the data of the
Ministry of Environment, may range from 5,043 to
302,592 Euro per day in case of failure to fulfill the
obligations related to environmental protection.2
2
22
Julia Majewska, Ministry of Environment, Department of the
Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment, Treatment
of Municipal Waste – the accession committments, legal regulations, 21 February 2011.
1.4. Main obligations of local governments in the context of the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities
The system for managing municipal waste in
municipalities
The aim of the amendment of the Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities is to create
a modern system for municipal waste management in
municipalities, covering all the owners of properties
located in the municipality area. The authors of the
legislation have obliged municipalities to create a system
for collection of municipal waste from owners of
inhabited properties (inhabited by natural persons).
Property owners will no longer conclude contracts for
the collection of waste directly with the companies
operating on this market but they will pay a fee for
waste management to the municipality. The amount
of the fee and the obligation to pay by an individual
property owner will either be connected with the
number of people living on the property, with the
amount of water used or with the area of the premises,
or it will be a lump sum paid by every household.
On the other hand, it will be a task of the municipality to
select the companies that will actually collect municipal
waste from property owners. The selection will be
made by a public tender carried out in accordance
with the Public Procurement Law, taking into account
the provisions of the amended Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities. There will be
a principle of selecting one company per municipality.
However, if in a municipality with more than 10 000
inhabitants, an appropriate decision is taken by the
municipality council by way of resolution (local law),
the municipality area may be divided into sectors from
which waste will be collected by companies selected in
separate public tenders. As a result of winning a tender,
the company will sign a contract with the municipality
for collection of municipal waste from property owners.
With respect to uninhabited properties, the municipality
council may decide, by way of resolution (local law),
to include such properties in the organised system for
municipal waste collection, if such waste is generated
on such properties. In such a case, the amount of
fee will depend on the number of waste containers
collected from the property.
The amendment of the Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities introduces
significant changes related to the management of
waste by local governments. The MEnv expects the
amendment to result in: making the system tight
and solving the problem of illegal landfill, effective
supervision of the quality of waste management
and ensuring the provision of waste flow to the
planned waste treatment plants.
The time, the frequency and the method of paying the
fees will be set by municipality councils. The councils will
also prepare sample declarations for property owners
to submit in order to determine the fee due for waste
management. It should be noted here that failure to
submit such a declaration will result in setting the waste
management fee by a decision of the municipality
executive body. In the same way, this body will also
impose the amount due for payment in case of failure or
partial failure to pay the fee.
On the other hand, if the municipality failed to fulfill its
obligations in this respect, the property owner will have
the right to hand over the waste to the appropriate
companies at the municipality’s cost.
The conditions for carrying out business in the
area of collection and disposal of municipal
waste
As a result of the amendment, the business activity in
the area of collection and disposal of waste will become
a regulated business activity within the meaning of the
Act on freedom of economic activity, which means that
carrying out such an activity will depend on obtaining
an entry in the register of regulated activity. The register
will be maintained by the municipality executive body
with the jurisdiction over the place of waste collection.
Municipalities will be obliged to create the appropriate
registers within three months from the entry into force
of the amended Act.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 23
The Act also provides that the company collecting
municipal waste from property owners will have to meet
the following requirements:
Other tasks of the municipality
In accordance with the provisions of the above
mentioned act, the tasks of municipalities include also:
1.To have the equipment making it possible to collect
municipal waste from property owners and to keep it
in good repair;
• Ensuring cleanliness and order in the municipality
area and creating conditions necessary for their
maintenance;
2.To maintain the proper sanitary condition of the
vehicles and equipment for collection of municipal
waste from property owners;
• Creating conditions for performing works related to
maintenance of cleanliness and order or ensuring the
performance of such works by forming appropriate
organisational units;
3.To meet the technical requirements concerning the
equipment of vehicles for collection of municipal
waste from property owners;
4.To provide proper location and equipment of the
storage and transport depot.
It is worth noting, however, that in accordance with
the amended Act, companies collecting municipal
waste from property owners which on the day of entry
into force of the amended Act will hold a permit for
collecting municipal waste from property owners, will
be able to carry out their business activity in this field
without obtaining an entry into the register for 12
months after the entry into force of the amendment.
If on the day of entry into force of the amended Act,
it is the municipality organisational units that collect
municipal waste from property owners, such units
will have to meet the requirements imposed on the
companies carrying out such business activity under the
amended Act within 12 months from its entry into force.
It should be added here that the Act introduces
a number of reporting duties for entities providing
services within the organised municipality waste
management system. The activity of such entities will be
supervised and failure to fulfill the obligations imposed
by the Act may result in imposition of an administrative
financial penalty.
• Including all property owners in the municipality area
in the organised waste management system;
• Ensuring the construction, maintenance and
operation by the municipality or jointly with other
municipalities of regional stations for treatment of
municipal waste;
• Ensuring the achievement of the appropriate levels of
recovery and recycling of waste;
• Establishing a system for separate collection of
municipal waste, at least with reference to the
following materials: paper, metals, plastics, glass and
biodegradable municipal waste;
• Establishing points for separate collection of municipal
waste in a way that provides easy access to them for
all inhabitants;
• Supervising the proper performance of tasks vested
in companies carrying out business in the area of
municipal waste collection;
• Undertaking informative and educational activities
addressed to inhabitants;
• Setting, by way of a municipal council resolution,
the principles for maintaining cleanliness and order
in the municipality area, the so called Regulations
for Maintaining Cleanliness and Order in the
Municipality;
• Carrying out annual analyses of the condition of
municipal waste management;
• Verifying the municipal waste management market
and the technical and organisational capabilities of
municipalities.
24
Below we present the time limits for adapting the waste
management system at the local governments’ level to
the requirements of the amended Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities, concerning in
particular the updating of WPGO [Voivodeship Waste
Management Plan] and the adoption of appropriate
resolutions by the municipal council, including
resolutions on collection of fees for waste management
and modifying the Regulations for maintaining
cleanliness and order in the municipality.
In connection with the amendment of the Act on
maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities,
local governments will have to re-define their goals and
priorities with respect to waste management, introduce
organisational changes in order to get prepared to
fulfilling the new obligations and to prepare a detailed
timetable for the months immediately following the
coming into force of the Act.
Figure 1.3. Time limits for adapting the waste management system to the
requirements of the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities
Change management
(key aspects)
Financial
Legal
Technical
Organisational
Act enters into
force – 01.01.2012
Adaptation to the Act
System gospodarki odpadami
Dostosowanie do Ustawy
Waste management system
Current situation
Challenges for local governments related to the
change of the waste management system
Whether the amendment of the Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities becomes
a driving force for the effective waste management
in Poland will depend, largely, on local governments
themselves, on the efficiency and comprehensiveness
with which they will implement the new system.
Municipalities are obliged to prepare detailed solutions,
adapted to their local conditions, and to adopt the
appropriate resolutions (e.g. on the level and manner
of collecting fees for waste management from property
owners) within 12 months from entering into force of
the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order
in municipalities, that is from 1 January 2012. This is
not a long period of time – especially for the biggest
cities – if we consider the whole list of duties taken
over by local governments and the challenges related to
achieving the waste management targets that Poland
has undertaken.
Adopting the relevant resolutions,
incl. on collection of fees and adaptation
of the regulation for maintaining
cleanliness and order in the municipality
6 months
18 months
12 months
Adopting the updated
Voivodeship Waste Management Plans
Resolutions enter into
force together with
the obligation to collect
waste from property owners
Source: Author’s own compilation
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 25
In the table below we present a list of selected
key issues to be dealt with by local governments
in connection with the amendment of the Act on
maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities.
This list applies in particular to cities with a large number
of inhabitants where the scope and the scale of the
required changes will be the greatest.
Table 1.4. Key decisions to be made and action to be taken by local governments
Area
Waste
management
strategy and
goals
Municipality
budget and
fees for waste
management
Organisation of
public tenders
and checking
the actual
implementation
of the
procedures
Installations for
waste disposal
Organisational
issues
Information
policy
26
Decisions or action to be taken

Defining the strategy and setting goals in the area of waste management for provinces, regions and municipalities as well as
deciding on the necessary action to achieve these goals

Coordinating the municipality goals with the goals at the regional level and the main assumptions for the updating of the WPGO,
including:
- Stating whether a big municipality (over 500 thousand inhabitants) will be an independent region for the purposes of waste
management
- Decision whether implementing certain tasks requires formation of an inter-municipality organisation

Division of municipality into sectors

Organisation of separate collection – decision on the scope of collection of certain waste fractions at source with economic
justification

Preparing an outline of the Regulations for Maintaining Cleanliness and Order in the Municipality

Estimating the real volume of waste generated in the municipality

Estimating the budget needed for the implementation of the waste management tasks (taking into account the costs of collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, the costs of establishing and maintaining the points for separate collection and the
administrative costs of the system)

Setting the rates of the fees for waste management

Preparing the sample declarations

Checking whether the actual number of people living on the property or the amount of water used or the area of the premises
disclosed by property owners are correct

Consultations with companies

Defining the requirements for the providers of the services of collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste (preparing the
tender terms and conditions as well as the assessment criteria), including:
- The decision whether one sector should be serviced by only one company
- The decision whether the fee system should also include properties where business activities are carried out
- The decision whether public tenders should be organised separately or jointly for the services of collection and disposal of waste

Organisation of tenders

Procedures for checking the quality of the services provided by the companies

An analysis of the number, the capacity and the location of landfill sites, decision on closing the sites that do not meet the
environmental standards and their recultivation

An analysis of the shortages and needs as regards the number and the capacity of the waste disposal installations in the province,
region and municipality, including consultations with companies

An estimate of the necessary expenditure on the new installations and an analysis of various options of financing them (own funds,
EU subsidies, debt financing, PPP); taking into consideration the effect of financing on the level of municipality’s debt

Defining the best organisational structure

Locating the unit / office responsible for waste management in the structure of the office

Describing the tasks at the level of a department / job

Organisational regulations and administrative documents

Systems for monitoring the adopted targets and reporting systems, including IT systems

Practical implications of introducing the new system for the inhabitants and businesses

Information campaign on the ways of disposing of waste (including waste sorting at source)

Effective communication on the waste management policy and the planned installations
The necessity to implement the amended law and to achieve the
adopted waste management targets
The EU regulations place emphasis on the protection of the environment
and efficient use of resources. In the area of municipal waste management,
the priorities include reduction of waste generation, recycling and recovery
of energy from waste. When joining the EU Poland made a number of
commitments which, in the area of waste management, include: reduction
of the volume of landfill waste, including biodegradable waste and increasing
the level of recycling and preparation for re-use of the selected fractions of
municipal waste (paper, plastics, metals and glass).
The adopted changes to the Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities and the planned amendment of the Act on waste in 2011 as
well as the adoption of the Act on packaging and packaging waste will make
it possible to fully transpose the most important waste management directives
into the Polish law. The important changes to the Polish system of waste
management , following the model already in operation in other European
countries (except Hungary), including the increased role and responsibility of
local governments, are introduced by the Act on maintaining cleanliness and
order in municipalities. Apart from the normative acts in the form of acts of
parliament, the targets to be achieved in the area of waste management have
been set in the KPGO 2014 and the WPGO, whose updating is planned by
30 June 2012.
The role of local governments will be of key importance for the effective
implementation of the amended provisions and for the achievement of the
adopted targets. It is expected that municipalities, equipped with the new
legal instruments, will organise the collection of municipal waste from all their
inhabitants and will contribute to the improvement of the quality of waste
management in Poland.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 27
2.The current situation and the prospects for the development of waste management in Poland
2.1. Generation of municipal waste
Diagram 2.1. Production of municipal waste in the EU in 2009
Germany
18.8% (48.1 m Mg)
Other EU member states
28.0% (71.5 m Mg)
France
13.5% (34.5 m Mg)
Poland
4.7% (12.1 m Mg)
Spain
9.8% (25.1 m Mg)
United Kingdom
12.7% (32.5 m Mg)
Italy
12.7% (32.5 m Mg)
Source: Eurostat
Generation of waste in Poland as compared to
the rest of Europe
Municipal waste is the waste generated in households
(with the exception of end of life vehicles) and
the waste that does not contain hazardous waste
generated elsewhere which is similar to the waste
generated in households in its nature or composition.
The sources of municipal waste are mainly households
and infrastructure facilities (commerce, services, crafts,
education, industry in the part related to staff facilities,
other).
In 2009 all the EU members states produced more than
256 million tons of municipal waste, of which the six
biggest countries generated more than 185 million tons
(72.1% of all the total waste). Poland, producing 12.1
million tons of waste per year ranked 6th in the amount
of waste generated in 2009, behind the countries with
greater population.
Diagram 2.2 The amount of generated municipal waste per inhabitant in the EU countries in 2009
900
750
kg/person
600
450
300
150
ite
Un
nio
n
nm
ark
Cy
p
Lu
kse rus
mb
urg
Ire
lan
d
Th
M
eN
eth alta
erl
an
d
Au s
str
Ge ia
rm
an
y
Sp
ain
nU
De
ea
rop
Eu
Source: Eurostat
30
Ita
ly
Fra
d K nce
ing
do
Po m
rtu
g
Be al
lgi
u
Sw m
ed
en
Fin
lan
Bu d
lga
ria
Gr
ee
c
Slo e
ven
Hu ia
ng
Ro ary
ma
nia
Lit
hu
an
i
Est a
on
ia
Lat
via
S
Cz
ech lovak
Re ia
pu
bli
c
Po
lan
d
0
The difference in the amount of generated municipal
waste between Poland and the biggest EU member
states is not only the result of the difference in the
size of population. The amount of municipal waste
generated in Poland (38.1 million inhabitants) in
2009 was two times lower than in Spain (45.9 m
inhabitants), almost three times lower than in Italy
(60.2 m inhabitants), the United Kingdom (61.8 m
inhabitants) and France (64.5 m inhabitants) and four
times lower than in Germany (81.9 m inhabitants).
This disparity comes, to a great extent, from the lower
level of economic development and the lower level of
wealth and consumption of people living in Poland as
compared to those countries. As a result, the indicator
of the amount of generated municipal waste per
inhabitant in Poland in 2009 was 316 kg, whereas in the
other five biggest EU countries it amounted to
526-587 kg, with the EU average of 512 kg.
The level of economic development and consumption in
Poland does not, however, explain the fact the amount
of generated waste per person is the lowest in the
whole EU, lower also than that of the countries with
lower GDP per capita, such as Bulgaria or Romania.
The statistical data on the amount of generated
waste may be affected by the waste management
system currently in force in Poland. Unlike in the most
EU countries, in Poland, similarly as in Hungary, the
owner of the municipal waste is, according to the law,
the property owner or a company holding a license
for carrying out business activity of collection and
transport of municipal waste. Municipalities are obliged
to organise a system for municipal waste collection
only if in a given municipality there are no companies
collecting waste from property owners. The companies,
in turn, are obliged to send information to municipality
authorities about the contracts concluded with property
owners and to submit reports on the management of
municipal waste and municipalities must keep record of
such contracts.
The practice has shown, however, that the current
system is not effective and that it has contributed to
some undesirable practices in waste management, such
as:
• Lack of contracts for collection of waste resulting
in illegal disposal of waste by property owners by
putting it in illegal disposal sites or disposing of it at
home (e.g. burning it);
• Companies understating or failing to disclose the
actual amount of waste they collected and disposed
of;
• Lack of sufficient supervision by municipalities over
the effectiveness of the collection and quality of the
disposal of municipal waste.
The above shortcomings of the system are one of the
reasons why the amount of generated municipal waste
is estimated by GUS [Central Statistical Office] on the
basis of the actual amount of collected municipal waste
(10.1 m tons in 2009); another reason being the fact
that the organised waste collection system does not
cover all the people living in the country (78.1% of the
Polish population in 2008 according to KPGO 2014).
Taking into account the practices described above and
the shortcoming of the current waste management
system it is difficult to say to how accurately the GUS
estimates reflect the actual amount of municipal waste
generated in Poland.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 31
Poland holds the 6th place in the EU if we look at
the total volume of generated municipal waste and,
paradoxically, the last place in the amount of waste
per inhabitant. The actual amount of waste that is
generated may, however, increase when the Polish
waste management system becomes tight.
Description of waste generated in Poland
Out of the total amount of municipal waste generated
in Poland in 2008 (12.1 m tons), as much as 45.2% was
generated in big cities (over 50 thousand inhabitants),
26.1% in small towns (below 50 thousand inhabitants),
and 28.7% in rural areas. If we compare it with the
population of individual regions, we may see that the
generation of waste per capita is much higher in cities
(370 kg/person) than in rural areas (234 kg/person).
Table 2.1. Places where municipal waste was generated in Poland in 2008
Population
Place of generation
Big cities (>50 thousand inhabitants)
Small towns (<50 thousand inhabitants)
Rural areas
Total
thousand
people
Municipal waste generated in 2008
%
thousand Mg
%
kg/person
14 180
37.2%
5 473
45.2%
386
9 110
23.9%
3 154
26.1%
346
14 850
38.9%
3 474
28.7%
234
38 140
100.0%
12 101
100.0%
317
Source: KPGO 2014
Diagram 2.3. Composition of municipal waste generated in Poland in 2008
Multi-material waste
2.2%
Other categories
Hazardous 4.0%
waste
Wood
0.7%
0.4%
Textiles
2.7%
Fraction < 10mm
8.5%
Mineral waste
3.9%
Kitchen and
garden waste
32%
Source: KPGO 2014
32
Waste from green areas
4.5%
Paper and cardboard
12.6%
Glass
10.1%
Metals
2.3%
Plastics
12.7%
Bulky waste
3.3%
Out of the total amount of waste generated in Poland in
2008 the biggest group was kitchen and garden waste
(32.1%), plastics (12.7%), paper and cardboard (12.6%)
and glass (10.1%), whereas metals (2.3%) and wood
(0.4%) accounted for a relatively small percentage of
the total amount of waste. If we compare the structure
of municipal waste by type depending on the place of
its production, we can see that in big cities the share
of paper and cardboard is significantly bigger (19.1%)
compared to small towns (9.6%) and rural areas (5.0%).
The situation is similar if we look at plastics, whose
share in total waste in big cities (15.2%) is much higher
than in rural areas (10.3%).
Biodegradable waste is waste that may undergo
anaerobic or aerobic decomposition with the support
of microorganisms. KPGO 2014 treats the following as
biodegradable municipal waste:
• Paper and cardboard,
• Clothes and textiles from natural fabrics (50% of
municipal waste of this group),
In the total mass of municipal waste generated in
Poland in 2008, the biodegradable waste was estimated
at 6.6 m tons and constituted 54.7% of all waste. The
share of biodegradable waste in cities is higher and
constitutes 57.0% of all waste compared to 48.8% in
rural areas.
• Waste from green areas,
• Kitchen and garden waste,
• Wood (50%),
• Multi-material waste (40%),
• Fine fraction < 10mm (30%).
Table 2.2. Municipal waste composition in Poland by place of its generation in 2008
Waste generated
No.
Type of waste
1
Paper and cardboard
2
Multi-material waste (40%)
3
Kitchen and garden waste
4
Fraction < 10mm (30%)
5
6
7
Waste from green areas
In big cities
(>50 th.
inhabitants)
thousand Mg
Total
thousand Mg
In small towns
(<50 th.
inhabitants)
thousand Mg
In rural areas
thousand Mg
1 521
1 045
303
173
160
54
50
57
3 889
1 582
1 157
1 150
309
69
65
176
Textiles (50%)
163
62
63
37
Wood (50%)
22
6
5
11
549
292
167
91
Total biodegradable waste
6 613
3 111
1 809
1 694
% of all municipal waste
54.7%
56.8%
57.3%
48.8%
8
Multi-material waste (60%)
241
81
75
85
9
Fraction < 10mm (70%)
721
161
151
410
10
Textiles (50%)
163
62
63
37
11
Wood (50%)
12
Glass
13
22
6
5
11
1 216
546
323
347
Metals
279
146
49
85
14
Plastics
1 534
831
346
357
15
Mineral waste
468
173
89
206
12
Hazardous waste
89
41
20
28
13
Other categories
486
173
142
170
14
Bulky waste
268
142
82
45
5 488
2 362
1 345
1 780
% of all municipal waste
45.3%
43.2%
42.7%
51.2%
Total municipal waste
12 101
5 473
3 154
3 474
Total other municipal waste
Source: KPGO 2014
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 33
Generated vs. collected municipal waste
The estimated amount of municipal waste generated
in Poland in 2009 was 12.1 m tons. The amount of
municipal waste actually collected in the same year
was 10.1 m tons. This means that the waste collected
accounted only for 83.4% of the estimated amount of
the generated municipal waste. The difference reaching
2.0 m tons results mainly from the fact that only 78.1%
of the Polish population is covered by the organised
system of municipal waste collection.
The five most populated provinces (mazowieckie,
śląskie, wielkopolskie, małopolskie and dolnośląskie) in
2009 generated 54.7% of the total generated municipal
waste and collected 55.7% of the total collected
municipal waste. In these provinces, except for the
Małopolskie Province, the average amount of collected
municipal waste per inhabitant was higher than the
national average of 264 kg/person, which results from
the location of big cities, where this value exceeds 400
kg/person (except for Łódź).
In 2009, privately owned companies collecting waste
collected 57.9% of municipal waste as compared
to 57.7% in 2008. At the same time, public sector
collecting companies collected 40.3% of waste (42.3%
in 2008), whereas the remaining 1.8% of waste was
collected by entities with mixed ownership between the
private and public sector.
Table 2.3. Municipal waste generated and collected in 2009 by voivoidship
Population
Voivodeship
thousand
people
Municipal waste generated
%
thousand
Mg
%
Mass of collected municipal waste
kg /
person
thousand
Mg
%
kg /
person
% of
generated
waste
Lower Silesia
2 877
7.5%
1 064
8.8%
370
990
9.8%
344
93.0%
Kujawy-Pomerania
2 069
5.4%
646
5.4%
312
524
5.2%
253
81.1%
Lublin
2 157
5.7%
477
4.0%
221
332
3.3%
154
69.6%
Lubuskie
1 010
2.6%
366
3.0%
362
318
3.2%
315
87.1%
Łódź
2 542
6.7%
834
6.9%
328
634
6.3%
249
76.0%
Małopolska
3 298
8.6%
914
7.6%
277
765
7.6%
232
83.7%
Mazovia
5 222
13.7%
1 875
15.6%
359
1 557
15.5%
299
83.0%
Opole
1 031
2.7%
316
2.6%
306
268
2.7%
259
84.8%
Podkarpacie
2 102
5.5%
416
3.5%
198
359
3.6%
171
86.3%
Podlasie
1 190
3.1%
347
2.9%
292
247
2.5%
207
71.0%
Pomerania
2 230
5.8%
787
6.5%
353
699
7.0%
314
88.8%
Silesia
4 641
12.2%
1 652
13.7%
356
1 394
13.9%
300
84.4%
Świętokrzyskie
1 270
3.3%
259
2.1%
204
207
2.1%
163
80.0%
Warmia-Masuria
1 427
3.7%
402
3.3%
282
324
3.2%
227
80.4%
Wielkopolska
3 408
8.9%
1 084
9.0%
318
898
8.9%
264
82.8%
West Pomerania
Total
1 693
4.4%
616
5.1%
364
539
5.4%
318
87.5%
38 167
100.0%
12 053
100.0%
316
10 054
100.0%
264
83.4%
Source: Municipal waste management in the Mazowieckie Province in the years 2007-2009, WIOŚ [Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection] in Warsaw, 2010
34
2.2. Municipal waste disposal
Waste disposal in Poland compared to the rest of
Europe
Poland is one of the countries where modern methods
of waste disposal are used only to a limited extent. In
2009 as much as 78.2% (7.9 m tons) of the mass of
the municipal waste collected in Poland was deposited
on landfill sites. 14.1% (1.4 m tons) was recycled, 6.7%
(673 thousand tons) was biologically treated, and only
1.0% (101 thousand tons) of the collected municipal
waste stream was thermally treated, that is, incinerated
with energy recovery. Just to compare, among the 5
biggest EU countries, between 0.4% (Germany) and
52.0% (Spain) of waste goes to landfill, whereas from
8.8% (Spain) to more than 33.6% (France and Germany)
of the collected waste is thermally treated.
The above data clearly shows that municipal
waste handling in Poland differs greatly from the
recommendations included in the waste management
hierarchy, where landfilling is treated as the last and the
least desirable method of waste disposal.
Municipal waste disposal in Poland consists,
mainly, in landfilling (78% of the mass of the
waste collected in 2009), whereas the modern
methods of waste disposal, such as recycling,
thermal or biological treatment are used only to
a limited extent.
The above data clearly shows that municipal
waste handling in Poland differs greatly from the
recommendations included in the waste management
hierarchy, where landfilling is treated as the last and
the least desirable method of waste disposal. Thus
it is necessary to “reverse, as quickly as possible, the
monoculture of municipal waste disposal based on
landfilling and to implement modern systems of their
comprehensive management, including installations for
waste incineration and recovery of energy included in
it”3.
Diagram 2.4. Municipal waste disposal in individual EU member states in 2009
100%
6.7%
17.9%
14.1%
1.0%
80%
23.7%
60%
20.3%
40%
20%
78.2%
38.2%
Eu
ro
p
ea
n
Un
Ge ion
rm
a
Th
e
A ny
Ne us
th tria
er
lan
Sw ds
e
De den
nm
a
B rk
Lu elg
i
ks um
em
bu
rg
Fr
an
ce
I
ta
Un
ite Fin ly
d
l
a
Ki nd
ng
do
m
Sp
Po ain
rtu
g
Ire al
lan
Slo d
ve
n
Es ia
to
Hu nia
ng
ar
Po y
lan
Cz
d
ec Gre
h
e
Re ce
pu
b
Slo lic
va
k
Cy ia
pr
us
La
Lit tvia
hu
an
ia
M
alt
Ro a
m
a
Bu nia
lg
ar
ia
0%
Landfilling
Thermal treatment
Recycling
Biological treatment
Source: Eurostat
3
Tadeusz Pająk, Droga do gospodarki odpadami zgodnej
z wytycznymi Unii Europejskiej – pokazana na przykładzie
projektów spalarni w Polsce [Road to waste management
consistent with EU guidelines – on the example of incineration
plants projets in Poland], Karl J. Thome-Kozmiensky, Luciano
Pelloni, Waste Management. Volume 1. East European Countries,
TK Verlag Karl Thome-Kozmiensky, 2010.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 35
Trends in waste management in Poland
In the years 2007-2010 a decrease in the amount
of waste deposited on landfills can be noticed with
simultaneous increase in the use of other methods
of waste disposal, first of all recycling, however, the
progress so far cannot be deemed sufficient. The
percentage of landfill waste fell from 90.2% in 2007 to
78.2% in 2009, and at the same time, the percentage of
recycled waste grew from 3.6% to 6.7%.
Table 2.4. Municipal waste treatment in the years 2007-2009
2007
thousand
Mg
Landfilling
2008
%
thousand
Mg
2009
%
thousand
Mg
%
9 098
90.2%
8 693
86.6%
7 859
78.2%
Recycling
580
5.8%
895
8.9%
1 421
14.1%
Biological treatment
363
3.6%
386
3.8%
673
6.7%
Thermal treatment
Total collected waste
41
0.4%
63
0.6%
101
1.0%
10 083
100.0%
10 036
100.0%
10 054
100.0%
Source: GUS
Out of the 10.1 m tons of municipal waste collected in
2009, 9.3 m ton (92.2%) was mixed waste, whereas
789 thousand tons (7.8%) of waste was collected
separately. It is characteristic that the mass of waste
collected without sorting fell from 9.6 m tons in 2007
to 9.3 m tons in 2009, whereas the amount of waste
collected separately at the same time grew from 513
thousand tons to 789 thousand tons, which may signify
a gradual growth of the importance of the separate
collection of waste.
Table 2.5. Mixed and separately collected municipal waste in Poland in the years 2007-2009
2007
thousand
Mg
2008
%
thousand
Mg
2009
%
thousand
Mg
%
Unsorted household waste
6 695
66.4%
6 428
64.0%
6 364
63.3%
Unsorted waste from commerce, small businesses and
institutions
2 348
23.3%
2 405
24.0%
2 379
23.7%
Unsorted waste from municipal services
Total unsorted collected waste
Separately collected waste
Total collected waste
Source: KPGO 2014
36
527
5.2%
521
5.2%
522
5.2%
9 570
94.9%
9 354
93.2%
9 265
92.2%
513
5.1%
683
6.8%
789
7.8%
10 083
100.0%
10 037
100.0%
10 053
100.0%
In 2009, most (63.3%) of the mixed municipal waste
was collected from households. Another important
source of this type of waste (23.7%) was commerce,
small businesses, offices and institutions. Waste
from municipal services, such as street cleaning or
maintenance of parks or cemeteries accounted for 5.2%
of the total mass of collected municipal waste. Similarly
most (68.8%) of the separately collected municipal
waste, in 2009, came from households (mainly glass
waste). Separately collected waste from shops, small
businesses, offices and institutions constituted 17.6%
(mainly paper). Whereas waste from municipal services
accounted for 13.6% of the amount of separately
collected municipal waste (mainly biodegradable waste).
In 2009, the following amounts of waste were collected
separately for recycling: 199 thousand tons of glass,
151 thousand tons of paper and cardboard and 100
thousand tons of plastics, which together accounted for
57.1% of all separately collected waste. In addition,
164 thousand tons of biodegradable waste was
collected and 104 thousand tons of bulky waste. When
analysing which materials are most often recycled in
Poland, it should be noted that compared to 2008, the
amount of separately collected plastics grew by 21.1%
and glass – by 14.2%, whereas the amount of paper
and cardboard only by 4.5%.
Diagram 2.5. Separate collection of municipal waste in Poland in 2009
Other
8.9%
Glass
25.3%
Bulky waste
13.2%
Biodegradable
waste
20.8%
Paper and
cardboard
19.1%
Plastics
12.7%
Source: GUS
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 37
2.3. Goals and forecasts concerning changes in waste management
The waste management targets in Poland
The detailed targets for the management of municipal
waste in Poland, consistent with the EU guidelines and
the national regulations, have been gathered in the
National Waste Management Plan 2014 covering the
years 2011-2014 with an outlook to the years 20152022 (KPGO 2014):
• To include the whole population in the organised
system of municipal waste collection and the system
of separate collection of waste by 2015 at the latest;
• To reduce the volume of biodegradable municipal
waste sent to landfill:
o in 2013 up to no more than 50%,
• To collect in 2012 25% of used portable batteries and
accumulators and in 2016 to reach the level of 45%
in the collection of this type of waste;
• To collect 4 kg per capita per year of waste electric
and electronic equipment from households.
KPGO 2014 also points to the waste management
targets that require regular monitoring; they have been
presented in the Table below.
Main waste management targets in KPGO
2014:
• To maintain the trend of separating the increase
in the amount of generated waste from the
economic growth expressed in GDP;
o in 2020 up to no more than 35%
relative to the mass of waste generated in 1995;
• To reduce the mass of landfill municipal waste to the
maximum of 60% of waste generated by 2014;
• To reduce the number of landfill sites from 520 in
2008 to 200 in 2014;
• To achieve, by December 2014, the level of recovery
of minimum 60% and recycling at the level of
minimum 55% of packaging waste;
• To prepare waste materials for re-use and recycling,
at least such as paper, metal, plastics and household
glass and, as much as possible, waste of other origin
similar to household waste at the level of minimum
50% of their mass up to 2020;
• To increase the share of recovery, recycling in
particular, of glass, metals, plastics and paper
and cardboard as well as recovery of energy from
waste, in accordance with the requirements of
environmental protection;
• To reduce the volume of landfill waste;
• To eliminate the practices of illegal dumping of
waste;
• To create and launch a data base of products,
packaging and waste management (BDO).
Table 2.6. Waste management targets requiring regular monitoring according to KPGO 2014
No.
Indicator
1
Number of landfill sites for waste other than
hazardous and inert where municipal waste is
deposited
2
Unit
Base year
Value of indicator in
the base year
Year for target to be achieved
Indicator value to be achieved
year
number
2008
520
2014
200
Percentage of municipal waste landfilled in relation
to municipal waste generated
year
%
2008
86.6%
2014
60%
3
Level of reduction in municipal bio-waste landfilled
Maximum bio-waste landfilled in relation to that
generated in 1995
year
%
million Mg
1995
100.0%
4.38
2013
50%
2.19
2020
35%
1.53
4
Percentage of portable batteries and accumulators
collected separately in relation to those placed on
the market
year
%
-
2012
25%
2016
45%
Source: KPGO 2014
38
In addition, KPGO 2014 adopts a number of detailed
objectives or guidelines concerning:
• Hazardous waste (containing PCB, asbestos, waste
oils, medical and veterinary waste, used batteries
and accumulators, waste electric and electronic
equipment, end-of-life vehicles as well as superfluous
warfare agents and waste explosives);
• Packaging waste (made of plastics, aluminium, steel,
paper and cardboard, glass and wood); and
• Other waste (end-of-life tyres, waste from
construction, repairs and demolition of buildings and
infrastructure, municipal sludge and non-municipal
biodegradable waste).
Forecasts regarding changes in waste
management in Poland
According to the KPGO 2014, the total amount of
municipal waste generated in the years 2011-2020
will be growing at the rate of 1.8% per year up to
the level of 12.8 m tons in 2013 and 14.5 m tons in
2020. A growth is also forecasted in the amount of
biodegradable municipal waste from 6.3 m tons (51.2%
of all municipal waste) in 2010 to 6.9 m tons (54,0%) in
2013 and 7.6 m tons (52,1%) in 2020.
Meeting the EU requirements related to the
management of municipal waste poses a significant
organisational and investment challenge for our
country. Solving these issues calls for efficient
governance, use of modern technology and
involvement of substantial funds.
In accordance with the Landfill Directive, Poland must
reduce the amount biodegradable municipal waste
deposited on landfill down to 75% of the amount of
waste in 1995 (4.4 m tons) in 2010, to 50% in 2013
and to 35% in 2020.
The implementation of the above mentioned Directive
will result in the reduction of the maximum volume of
biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill to 3.3
m tons in 2010, 2.2 m tons in 2013 and 1.5 m tons
in 2020. Thus the amount of waste that will have to
be disposed of in a manner other than landfilling will
increase from 3.0 m tons in 2010 to 4.7 m tons in 2013
and more than 6.0 m tons in 2020. It will be impossible
to dispose of this waste in a manner consistent with the
EU requirements without increasing the municipal waste
processing capacity based on modern technology.
Table 2.7. Requirements for landfill of biodegradable municipal waste in the years 2010, 2013, 2020
Parameter
Unit
2010
2013
2020
Municipal waste produced*
thousand Mg
12 384
12 835
14 524
Biodegradable municipal waste produced
thousand Mg
6 346
6 933
7 574
Share of biodegradable municipal waste produced
%
51.2%
54.0%
52.1%
Level of reduction of biodegradable municipal waste allowed for landfilling**
%
75.0%
50.0%
35.0%
Biodegradable municipal waste produced in 1995
thousand Mg
4 380
4 380
4 380
Biodegradable municipal waste allowed for landfilling***
thousand Mg
3 285
2 190
1 533
Biodegradable municipal waste not allowed for landfilling
thousand Mg
3 061
4 743
6 041
* estimated (2010) and planned (2013, 2020) amount of waste produced based on KPGO 2014
** limits of landfilling in force from 16 July of a given year
*** amounts calculated to simplify the limits in force from 1 January of a given year
Source: Deloitte based on KPGO 2014
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 39
2.4. The existing and planned waste treatment installations
The existing waste treatment installations in
Poland
KPGO 2014 points out that at the end of 2009, the
total capacity of thermal waste treatment plants
(ZTPOK), mechanical-biological treatment plants (MBT)
and composting plants amounted to just over 1.1 m
tons per year. That was made up by the following:
90 composting plants, 11 MBT plants, 3 waste
fermentation plants and 1 incineration plant in the
Targówek district in Warsaw.
Location of installation in each voivodeship is presented
on the map below.
Figure 2.1. Types and number of municipal waste treatment installations in Poland as on 31 December
2009
10
10
3
37
4
Warmia-Masuria Voivodeship
1
Pomerania Voivodeship
10
West Pomerania Voivodeship
1
16
9
39
39
Kujawy-Pomerania Voivodeship
Podlasie Voivodeship
4
2
16
17
3
Mazovia Voivodeship
19
1
13
7
29
Wielkopolska Voivodeship
8
38
6
1
57
Lubuskie Voivodeship
1
5
3
7
1
26
7
41
Łódź Voivodeship
15
Lublin Voivodeship
13
Lower Silesia Voivodeship
1
26
Opole Voivodeship
13
30
12
2
Silesia Voivodeship
12
1
21
58
Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
23
Małopolska Voivodeship
Podkarpacie Voivodeship
14
14
12
1
30
7
3
Composting plants for green waste and separately collected organic
waste, fermentation plants
Mechanical-biological treatment plants for unsorted municipal waste
Landfill sites for non-hazardous and inert waste where municipal
waste is deposited
Sorting plants for separately collected mixed municipal waste
Incinerating plants for unsorted municipal waste
Source: KPGO 2014
40
Table 2.8. List of municipal waste treatment installations in Poland as on 31 December 2009
Type of installation
Total processing
capacity
thousand Mg
No. of installations
Composting plants for green waste and separately
collected organic waste
Municipal waste incineration plants
Fermentation plants
Mechanical biological treatment plants
Total installations (excl. sorting plants)
Average processing
capacity
thousand Mg
90
602
7
1
42
42
3
52
17
11
412
37
105
1 108
11
Sorting plants, incl.
173
2 227
13
Total installations
278
3 335
12
Source: KPGO 2014
Apart from the waste treatment installations, at the end
of 2009, there were also more than 520 landfill sites
for depositing non-hazardous and non-inert municipal
waste. The information included in KPGO 2014 shows
that the available capacity of landfills meeting the
requirements amounted to 69.6 m tons (116 m3).
However, many of the currently operating landfill sites
do not meet the environmental standards and will have
to be closed in the near future.
The planned waste treatment installations in
Poland
It will be impossible to dispose of the projected
amount of waste in a manner consistent with the
EU requirements, including, among other things, the
necessity to reduce the mass of the landfill municipal
waste to maximum 60% of the generated waste
by the end of 2014, with the planned reduction of
the number of landfill sites to 200 in the same year,
without constructing and launching a number of new
installations in the coming years. The Plan indicates
that the most desirable types of installation are: plants
for thermal treatment of municipal waste (ZTPOK)
and plants for mechanical and biological treatment
of waste (MBT). In addition, the KPGO 2014 clarifies
that incineration plants are preferred in the case of
waste management regions with at least 300 thousand
population, whereas MBT are recommended for smaller
areas. More information on this subject is presented in
section 4.1 of this report, The necessity to increase the
waste treatment capacity.
The capacity of the existing waste treatment
installations in Poland is not enough to dispose of
the waste in a manner consistent with the EU
requirements. It is necessary to build and launch
a number of new installations, in particular
thermal and mechanical-biological treatment
plants.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 41
The binding provincial waste management plans
(WPGO) present the investment plans related to
municipal waste management. This information
indicates that after 2014, there is a plan to reduce the
number of operating landfills to 200-224 sites. Within
the period covered by individual WPGOs there are
plans to build or modernise: 87-97 composting and
fermentation plants, 28-30 MBT plants (with processing
capacity of 1.2 m tons) and 27 sorting plants (with
processing capacity of 1,8 m tons).
The total processing capacity of the planned 11 thermal
waste treatment plants amounts to about 2.4 m tons
per year. Whereas the total investment expenditure
for projects with a ZTPOK as their main element has
been estimated at PLN 8.1 billion, with the funding
for most of them planned with significant involvement
of EU subsidies under the Operational Programme
Infrastructure and Environment. Detailed information
about the individual planned incineration plants has
been presented in section 4.1 of this report, The
necessity to increase the waste treatment capacity.
The binding waste management plans indicate that the
construction of incineration and MBT plants will provide
the additional processing capacity of about 3.6 m tons
within the next few years. In 2013 it will be necessary
to dispose of minimum 4.7 m tons, and in 2020, more
than 6.0 m tons (see Table 2.7) so it may be necessary
to build additional installations, apart from the ones
mentioned above. The demand may be even higher if it
turns out that, together with the amendment of the law
and including the whole population in the organised
waste collection system, the actual amount of generated
municipal waste increases. It is estimated that as much
as 2 m tons of waste may surface in the country as
a result of the municipalities taking over the ownership
of the waste.
Table 2.9. List of planned municipal waste treatment plants in Poland according to the binding WPGOs
Composting plants and
Fermentation plants
Total
processing
Number
capacity
thousand
Mg
Landfills
Capacity
Voivodeship
Number
million m3
MBT plants
Sorting plants
Total
processing
capacity
thousand
Mg
Number
Total
processing
capacity
thousand
Mg
Number
Lower Silesia
22
b.d.
7-12
b.d.
2-4
90
1
21
Kujawy-Pomerania
11
6
11
53
-
-
-
-
Lublin
18
13
-
-
10
383
10
662
Lubuskie
19
b.d.
8
61
6
143
6
405
Łódź
22
1
16
176
-
-
-
-
Małopolska
8
11
8
80
8
294
8
218
Mazovia
15
b.d.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Opole
17
0
5-10
132
-
-
-
-
7
3
2
146
-
-
2
445
Podkarpacie
Podlasie
Pomerania
Silesia
5-15
b.d.
-
-
-
-
-
-
9
b.d.
7
b.d.
1
200
-
-
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5-15
b.d.
8
b.d.
-
-
-
-
Warmia-Masuria
15
5
-
-
1
120
-
-
Wielkopolska
12
4
15
b.d.
-
-
-
-
Świętokrzyskie
West Pomerania
Total
Source: WPGOs
42
15-19
b.d.
-
-
-
-
-
-
200-224
b.d.
87-97
b.d.
28-30
1 230
27
1 751
The currently binding WPGOs were adopted in the years
2007-2010. Under the amended Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities they will have
to be updated within 6 months from the Act’s entry
into force, that is by 30 June 2012 at the latest. The
updating of the waste management plans will be vital
for the proper assumption of the new duties under
the amended law by local governments. As part of
the WPGO updating process, the waste management
areas will be re-defined and the necessary regional
waste treatment installations and the investment needs
related to them will be listed. In this connection, it will
be necessary to hold consultations with the companies
operating on the market in order to use the existing
processing capacity and assets as much as possible and
to learn about the intentions of the business community
vis a vis the planned installations. An important element
of the development of the waste management system
will be the process of consulting local communities,
for instance regarding the location of the new regional
installations.
Estimates show that with the annual production of
clinker at the level of 13 m tons and assuming that
50% of heat is generated from alternative fuels with
average calorific value of 20 GJ/ton, it would be
possible to incinerate over 1.1 m tons of waste in Polish
cement plants. Unfortunately, so far, because of the
lack of processing capacity of the few existing plants
producing alternative fuels in Poland, almost 50% waste
of high calorific value used in cement plants (approx.
230 thousand tons in 2008) is imported, mainly from
Germany (221 thousand tons).
Disposal of waste in cement plants
Cement plants have significant potential for waste
disposal, as waste may be used there to generate heat
necessary for the production of clinker. Recently, almost
all cement plants have been thoroughly modernised
and, as a result, they are able to incinerate different
types of waste, while observing the admissible air
pollutant emission levels. Currently in Poland there are
11 cement production plants, with full production cycle,
which, in 2009, generated 35% of the heat needed for
their clinker production by using alternative fuels. This
percentage is systematically growing, but it is still low
when compared to other European countries.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 43
Key challenges and identified problems of waste management in Poland
Waste management is one of the most urgent environmental problems in Poland, and the challenges the country faces result from the reality
facing the EU requirements and the targets included in the Polish law and in the KPGO 2014. The key challenges and identified problems that
the Polish waste management system must address include the following:
• The great majority of municipal waste is still landfilled (78% of collected municipal waste in 2009);
• Unsatisfactory progress in separate collection of waste, including hazardous waste appearing in the flow of mixed municipal waste and the
low percentage of recycled waste (14% of collected municipal waste in 2009);
• Insufficient number and processing capacity of modern thermal (ZTPOK) and mechanical-biological (MBT) waste treatment installations;
• About 300 landfill sites for municipal waste must be closed down by 2014 and recultivated, mainly because they do not meet the technical
and legal requirements. A problem that needs to be solved is how to dispose of waste during the so called transition period, that is, in the
period between the closure of the landfill sites and launching of waste treatment plants;
• The waste management system does not cover the whole population – according to the KPGO 2014, only 78% of the inhabitants of Poland
were included in the organised waste collection system in 2008;
• The system is not tight – in most municipalities there is a problem of uncontrolled waste dumps (92% in the sample of municipalities
inspected by NIK [Supreme Audit Office], April 2010).
• Increase in mechanical sorting of mixed municipal waste (from the level of approx. 300 thousand tons in 2005 to 1.8 m tons in 2009) driven
by a 39% lower charge for depositing waste on landfill, with a limited nature of the sorting;
• Failure to fulfill the packaging waste disposal duties by some businesses;
• Lack of legally defined requirements for mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of mixed municipal waste;
• Lack of a system for collecting expired medicines from households;
• Ineffective system of monitoring the observance of regulations pertaining to environmental protection inspectorate and the penalties system
set by the Act on waste currently in force;
• Lack of sufficiently credible data on waste management, both at the regional and the national level, resulting from inaccurate recording of
waste and lack of proper waste management planning;
• Lack of a central data base on products, packaging and waste management.
The Polish waste management system looks particularly weak when compared to the developed countries of the EU, where more advanced
forms of waste disposal prevail and recycling reaches the level of more than 30%. In Poland in the recent years, the percentage of landfill waste
has been falling while the amount of recycled waste has been growing, yet the progress in this respect has so far been unsatisfactory. Solving
the identified problems will require: (i) efficient change management as well as the proper management of the new waste management system
by municipalities equipped with new legal instruments, (ii) construction of new waste processing capacity with the application of modern
technology which will require substantial expenditure and (iii) cooperation of all the stakeholders, including the executive authority and local
governments, entrepreneurs operating on the market of collection and disposal of municipal waste as well as the general public.
The few positive aspects of the current situation include the fact that Poland, with a lower level of affluence and consumption as well as waste
generation per capita than the developed EU member states, will have to make less effort to reduce the production of waste. By using the
experience of those countries, cooperating with the private sector and using EU funding, Poland has a chance to implement the new system
efficiently, following the model solutions and learning the lessons from the mistakes made by others.
44
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 45
3.Case study – a well developed waste management system - the example of Stockholm
3.1. Municipal waste management in Sweden
There are 30 years of experience between Swedish
and Polish waste management. In the 1970s, the
statistical data for the Nordic countries were
similar to the current Polish data, that is to say,
70-80% municipal waste was deposited on
landfills and the economy was based mainly on
fossil fuels.
Table 3.1. Comparing waste management in Sweden and in Poland in 2009
Unit
Sweden
Poland
Population
thousand
people
9 256
38 136
Municipal waste generated
thousand
Mg
4 486
12 053
Municipal waste treated
thousand
Mg
4 441
10 053
99.0%
83.4%
Ratio of treated municipal waste to
generated municipal waste
%
Municipal waste generated per capita
kg/person
485
316
Municipal waste treated per capita
kg/person
480
264
Source: Eurostat
48
Today, the Swedish municipal waste management
system is one of the best developed in Europe. In 2009,
in Sweden approximately 4.5 m tons of municipal waste
was generated, which accounts for 1.8% of the total
mass of municipal waste produced in the EU. Sweden
holds the 14th place in the EU in terms of the mass of
generated municipal waste and 15th place in terms of
municipal waste production per capita.
The population of Poland is four times bigger than
Sweden’s, yet, in 2009, the mass of waste generated in
Poland was only 2.7 times bigger than in Sweden. This
results from the fact that an average Swede produced
53% more waste than an average Pole, which was
caused, among other things, by the lower level of
economic development in Poland. In Sweden, in 2009,
the amount of collected municipal waste per capita was
485 kg and was significantly higher than the average for
Poland and slightly lower than the EU average, which, at
that time, reached 316 kg and 512 kg, respectively.
In Sweden, the waste management system involves
almost all inhabitants, which can be seen by the
high percentage of collected waste as compared to
generated waste (99.0% in 2009), which in Poland at
the same time was only 83.4%.
48.9% of collected municipal waste, 35.7% recycled,
13.9% biologically treated. Only 1.4% of collected
municipal waste was landfilled.
Diagram 3.1. Comparing the methods of waste management in Sweden and
in Poland in 2009
Sweden
At the end of 2009, in Sweden, there were 29 thermal
waste treatment plants where approx. 4.7 tons of
waste was incinerated, including about 47%, that is,
2.2 m tons of municipal waste. As the output of the
incineration process, the Swedish incineration plants
generated, in total, 13.9 TWh of energy, including 12.3
TWh thermal energy and 1.6 TWh electricity.
Unlike in Sweden, in Poland landfilling is still the most
popular way of waste disposal. Out of the10.1 m tons
of collected municipal waste, as much as 78.2% was
landfilled, 14.1% was recycled, 6.7% was biologically
treated and only 1.0% was incinerated.
Landfilling
1.4%
Recycling
35.7%
Thermal
treatment
48.9%
Biological treatment
13.9%
Poland
Recycling
14.1%
Biological treatment
6.7%
Thermal treatment
1.0%
Landfilling
78.2%
Source: Eurostat
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 49
3.2. Waste management in Stockholm
Stockholm authorities spend a total of about 50
million EUR annually on waste management
including municipal collection, transportation and
waste management as well as system development
and administration.
In 2009, 416 thousand tons of municipal waste was
collected in Stockholm, and a statistical inhabitant of the
Swedish capital produced approx. 490 kg of municipal
waste. To compare, the mass of municipal waste
collected in Warsaw amounted to 732 thousand tons. In
2009, a statistical inhabitant of Warsaw produced about
427 kg of municipal waste, 15% less than a statistical
inhabitant of Stockholm.
Diagram 3.2. Comparing the methods of waste management in Stockholm
and in Warsaw in 2009
Stockholm
In Stockhom, 73.8% of collected municipal waste was
thermally treated with energy recovery, 19.9% was
recycled, and only 0.9% was biologically treated. 5.4%
was sent to landfill. In Stockhom there are about 85
thousand waste collection points, approximately 275
thousand waste containers are used.
Landfilling
5.4%
Recycling
19.9%
Biological treatment
0.9%
The Stockholm municipal authorities spend annually
about Euro 50m on waste management. This budget
covers three main areas of activities related to municipal
waste management system:
Thermal treatment
73.8%
Warsaw
• Collection and transport of waste;
Recycling
6.4%
• Disposal of waste; and
Biological tratment
14.1%
Sorting
33.1%
Thermal treatment
7.9%
Landfilling
38.4%
Source: Fortum, Warsaw City Hall
50
In Warsaw, in 2009, in total 71.5% of municipal waste
was sorted and landfilled. Sorting is an intermediate
stage of waste disposal process and, although we
do not have information about the achieved level
of materials recovery, a significant part of the sorted
municipal waste stream was eventually landfilled. 6.4%
of waste recycled, 14.1% was composted and treated in
other ways, and only 7.9% was incinerated in the only
incineration plant in Poland, in the Warsaw district of
Targówek.
• Development, administration and information
processing related to waste management.
Stockholm municipal authorities spend approximately
1/3 of the budget funds for each of these areas. The
Stockholm waste management system is essentially
a self-financing non-profit activity. It is funded from
the obligatory fees paid by property owners for waste
management and it does not require any subsidies.
The city of Stockholm does not cover the costs of
recovery and recycling of packaging waste. These costs
are already included in the price of products purchased
by consumers,. Manufacturers pay the money for
covering recovery and recycling costs directly to the
system or indirectly, through the so called recovery
organisations.
Table 3.2. Basic information about the Högdalen plant
Parameter
Unit
Shareholders
%
Year of plant start-up
year
Högdalen
Fortum 50%
City of Stockholm
50%
1969
Employees:
The city of Stockholm owns the waste produced in its
area. Thanks to that, the Stockholm authorities can
develop their regional waste management appropriately.
The city contracts companies collecting and disposing
of waste. Thus Stockholm is able to guarantee a stable
flow of waste for waste treatment plants. In Stockholm,
20 companies concluded contracts with the city for
collection of waste: five for direct collection, one for
biowaste collection, fourteen for bulky waste collection.
Thermal treatment of waste in Stockholm
The Stockholm authorities spend 17 m Euro annually
for the management of waste. This money is used for
incineration, gasification, composting and disposal of
ashes. Out of this amount, 10 m Euro per year is spent
on incineration.
The thermal waste treatment plant in Högdalen has
been used since 1970 for incinerating, inter alia,
municipal waste collected in the area of Stockholm
and neighbouring municipalities. The incineration
plant produces heat and electricity. Over the years of
operation the plant has been modernised a number of
times. It is owned by Fortum Varme company, whose
shareholders are Fortum (50% of votes) and the city of
Stockholm (50% of votes). The plant has 141 employees
and 50 contract workers.
The plant incinerates annually 700 thousand tons of
waste, including 500 thousand tons municipal waste
and 200 thousand tons industrial waste. The average
calorific value of municipal waste collected in Stockholm
is 25 MWh/ton (9 MJ/kg), and of the industrial waste
3.3 MWh/ton (12 MJ/kg).
Full-time
person
141
Contractors
person
50
Total
person
191
Waste processing capacity
thousand Mg/year
700
Electricity capacity
MW
70
Heat capacity
MW
230
Electricity production
GWh/year
500
Heat production
GWh/year (TJ/year)
1 700 (6 120)
Waste treated in 2009
Municipal waste
Thousand Mg
500
Industrial waste
Thousand Mg
200
Area covered by plant activity
Number of municdipalities
supplying waste
#
Total population of municipalities
supplying waste
thousand people
25
1 800
Source: Fortum
In 2009 the plant generated about 2 200 GWh of
energy, including 500 GWh electricity and 1 700 GWh
heat. The heat generated by the Högdalen plant satisfies
the needs of approximately 80 thousand households,
and the generated electricity – the needs of approx. 200
thousand households.
The plant receives waste not only from Stockholm
but also from the 25 neighbouring municipalities.
Stockholm supplies about 47% (235 thousand tons) of
municipal waste incinerated by the plant annually. The
area serviced by the plant is inhabited by 1.8 m people.
The Högdalen plant has the total capacity of 300 MW,
including 70 MW electricity and 230 MW heat gross.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 51
The Högdalen CHP uses the modern technology of flue
gas condensation which makes it possible to generate
15-20% more heat. Thanks to applying this technology,
the incineration plant in Stockholm produces 320 GWh
of additional heat per annum.
Stockholm – European Green Capital 2010
In 2010, the European Commission awarded Stockholm
with the title of the European Green Capital. It
is an award honouring the action undertaken by
a city for the protection of natural environment and
improvement of the quality of life in urban areas. One
of the elements assessed by the Jury was the modern
waste management system and sustainable urban
planning ensuring long-term positive effects. The fact of
awarding Stockholm with this title confirms the positive
assessment of the Stockholm waste management
system, which may be a model for other cities to
replicate. The competitor to the title included such
cities as: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo, Hamburg
or Munich. Currently Stockholm organises visiting
programmes offering training in urban planning,
sustainable development, waste management or
efficient transport.
The Högdalen plant meets the very strict standards
concerning emission of pollutants into the air and water.
Comparing the actual emissions from the Högdalen
plant to the atmosphere in 2009 with the binding
European standards shows very good results. For most
substances the actual emissions did not exceed 10%
of the levels allowed by the European standards, and
only the emission of NOx are at the 84.4% of the level
allowed by the standards.
Over the last 20 years the Högdalen CHP has
contributed to a significant reduction of greenhouse
gases in Stockholm:
• over 70% carbon dioxide;
• over 95% sulphur dioxide;
• over 80% nitrogen oxide.
Diagram 3.3. Comparing the actual emissions to the air from the Högdalen plant in 2009 with European
standards
100%
84.4%
80%
60%
40%
20%
10.0%
10.0%
4.7%
10.0%
9.3%
2.0%
0.1%
Source: Fortum
Actual emissions
es
ox
in
Di
als
He
av
ym
et
y
er
cu
r
ic
or
M
ac
id
st
dr
oc
hl
Hy
Standard
52
Du
r
lp
hu
Su
ia
on
m
Am
Ni
tro
ge
n
ox
id
es
0%
3.3. Some examples of thermal waste treatment projects implemented by Fortum
Fortum currently has two thermal waste treatment
plants under construction: Brista 2 is being built in
Sigtuna, about 50 km from Stockholm, the other plant is
located in Kaipeda in Lithuania.
Plant Brista 2
The completion and launch of the thermal waste
treatment plant Brista 2 is planned for the fourth quarter
of 2013. The cost of the construction is estimated
at Euro 200 m. The incineration plant will produce
competitive district heat for the people living in the
northern part of Stockholm as well as electricity. The
partners in this project are: Fortum Varme (85% share)
and the Sollentuna municipality (15% share). The plant
will be able to process 240 thousand tons of waste per
year, including 72 thousand tons of municipal waste
and 168 thousand tons of industrial waste. The total
gross capacity of the plant will be 81 MW, with 21 MW
electricity and 6 0 MW heat (including heat recovery
from the flue gas condensation process). The plant
will generate 164 GWh of electricity and 468 GWh of
heat per year. It will have 20 employees and additional
contract workers as well as external service providers.
Plant in Klaipeda
The plant in Klaipeda will start operations in the second
quarter of 2013. The construction cost is estimated for
approx. EUR 123 m. The partners in the project are:
Fortum with 95% share and Klaipeda Energy company
with 5% share. The incineration plant will be able to
use, in total, 260 thousand tons of waste per year, with
180 thousand tons of municipal waste and 80 thousand
tons of industrial waste. The total gross capacity of the
plant will be 90 MW, with 20 MW electricity and 70
MW heat (including heat recovery from the flue gas
condensation process). The plant will generate 156
GWh electricity and 546 GWh heat per year. It will have
32 employees and additional contract workers as well as
external service providers.
Figure 3.1. Architectural rendering of the Brista 2 plant
Source: Fortum
Figure 3.2. Architectural rendering of the plant in Klaipeda
Source: Fortum
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 53
Table 3.3. The parameters of the selected Fortum’s thermal waste treatment plants
Parameter
Construction cost
Unit
Brista 2
EUR million
Klaipeda
200
123
Planned opening
4th Q 2013
2nd Q 2013
Shareholders
Fortum 85%
Sollentuna Municipality
15%
Fortum 95%
Klaipeda Energia 5%
Employment
people
20
32
Municipal
thousand Mg
72
180
Industrial
thousand Mg
168
80
Total
thousand Mg
240
260
Waste processing capcity
Plant capacity
Electricity capacity
MW
21
20
Heat capacity
MW
60
70
Total
MW
81
90
164
156
486 (1 684)
546 (1 966)
Energy production
Electricity production
GWh/year
Heat production
GWh/year (TJ/year)
Source: Fortum
54
A typical solution used for a thermal waste
treatment plant
Based on the many years of experience, Fortum
has developed a model for a typical thermal waste
treatment plant, using the best available technology
(BAT). Satisfactory economy of scale is ensured by
a plant with processing capacity of approx. 250
thousand tons of waste connected to a district heating
and electrical grids, with the following parameters:
Technology:
Processing capacity:
Waste flow:
Availability:
Electricity capacity:
Heat capacity:
Electricity generation:
Heat generation:
Capital expenditure:
Operating costs:
Manning:
Development time:
mass burning on reciprocating grate, horizontal boiler 60 bar / 420 C°,
combined heat and power generation, flue gas condensation system;
approx. 250 thousand Mg of waste per year;
32 Mg/h;
over 7 800 hours / year;
20 MW;
50+8 MW;
140 GWh / year;
410 GWh (1 476 TJ) / year;
EUR 120-150 m;
EUR 5-7 m;
32 emloyees (including 20 employees working shifts and 12 daytime employees)
and additional contracted workers as well as external services providers;
36-40 months (from preparing a detailed engineering project to commercial
operation).
Incineration plants following the model proposed
by Fortum are approximately 15% more efficient in
terms of heat production. This is possible thanks to
the application of the flue gas condensation process.
The modern plants built by Fortum do not cause any
nuisance for the people living in the vicinity of the plant.
Fortum implements their investment projects under
various project formats, with a possible contribution of
EU funds:
• Fortum investment projects funded from the
company’s own funds and an investment loan
(corporate finance);
In cooperation with municipalities, Fortum may be
responsible, among other things, for:
• design, construction, financing, operation,
maintenance and potentially – for co-ownership
of thermal treatment installation for municipal and
industrial waste;
• paid acceptance of municipal waste;
• production and sale of electricity and heat;
• disposal of ashes and slag;
• sale of the recovered and recycled materials.
• joint-venture with a public partner;
• in the PPP or multi-annual license format.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 55
56
Source: Fortum
Receiving of
waste
Waste bunker
Grab crane
Supply to boiler
Fuel oil
-
Air preheater
Slag
bunker
Auxiliary burners
Boiler
NH3
Combustion
air
Ashes
Feed -water
Bag house
filter
Water demin
Reactor
Condensate
Low pressure steam
High pressure steam
Table 3.4. A technical diagram of a typical waste incineration plant using the solution applied by Fortum
B2
G
Quench
Carbon
Lye
Scrubber
Flue gas
condensor
District heating
Turbine
Limestone
The Figure below shows a technical diagram of a typical incineration plant for municipal and industrial waste using the solution applied by Fortum, showing all the
important components of the plant and how they are related.
Municipal
Water supply
Comparison of Poland to the well developed EU member states highlights the big
untapped potential of municipal waste in our country
There is a distance of 30 years of experience between Sweden and Poland in implementing
modern waste management solutions and technologies. In Sweden, about 4.4 m tons of
municipal waste is collected annually, of which, in 2009, 36% was recycled and 1% was
landfilled. In Poland, about 10 m tons of municipal waste is collected, of which in 2009 14%
was recycled, and 78% was deposited on landfill sites. In Sweden there are several (more than
20) thermal waste treatment plants (ZTPOK), in Poland – only one small waste incineration
plant. In Sweden, approx. 15% of energy is produced from waste, whereas in Poland only
0.1%. There are also some similarities, e.g. with regard to the district heating system, as both
in Poland and in Sweden, 50% of thermal energy used to heat flats and houses is centralised
in district heating systems.
All this highlights the untapped potential for economically profitable and environmentally
friendly waste management in Poland. While trying to use this potential, it is worth drawing
from the best practice, tested technologies and experience of the companies that have
been successful in implementing investment projects and providing services on the waste
management market.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 57
4.Thermal waste treatment plants in Poland
4.1. The necessity to increase the waste treatment capacity
Poland urgently needs to increase its municipal
waste treatment capacity. Any delay in building
the regional waste treatment installations will
jeopardise the achievement of the waste
management targets adopted for the years 2013
and 2014.
In view of the depletion of natural resources and the
need to protect the areas of natural and landscape value
as well as the more and more strict laws on emission of
pollutants into water and air, the methods of thermal
or biological-mechanical treatment of municipal waste,
from which usable materials have been separated at
source and recycled, are among the basic solutions vital
for the creation of a modern, comprehensive waste
management system. In the Polish conditions, building
of such a system also entails a possibility to secure EU
funding for this purpose.
Regional waste treatment installations
In accordance with the KPGO 2010, the Voivodeship
waste management plans (WPGO) have defined the
waste management regions to be serviced by municipal
waste disposal plants (ZZO). In the WPGOs adopted
in the years 2007-2010 and currently binding, 123
municipal waste management regions have been
defined, of which 37 regions have the population
over 300 thousand, 70 regions have the population
between 150-300 thousand and 16 regions – below
150 thousand.
60
The amended Act on maintaining cleanliness and order
in municipalities defines a municipal waste management
region as an area, set forth in WPGO, populated by at
least 150 thousand people, where a municipality with
more than 500 thousand inhabitants may also constitute
a region. The Act introduces an obligation to update
the existing WPGO within 6 months from the entry
into force of Act, that is, by 30 June 2012 at the latest,
whereby changes may be introduced into the current
division of provinces into municipal waste management
regions. As a result of the WPGO updating, the regional
installations and processing capacities for municipal
waste treatment will be re-defined.
In accordance with the amended Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities, the regional
waste treatment installation is defined as a ZZO
with processing capacity sufficient for accepting and
treatment of waste from the area inhabited by at least
120 thousand people, fulfilling the requirement of the
best available technology (BAT), ensuring:
• Thermal treatment of waste; or
• Mechanical-biological treatment of unsorted
municipal waste and separating from such waste the
fractions that can be recovered partially or in full; or
• Separate treatment of the collected green waste and
other bio-waste and converting them into products
of fertiliser properties or products for enhancing plant
production; or
• Landfill of waste produced in the process of
mechanical and biological treatment of unsorted
municipal waste and the residue from municipal
waste sorting with the capacity enabling acceptance
of waste for not shorter than 15 years.
The main commitments of Poland in the area of waste
management consist in reducing the amount of waste
deposited on landfill sites, including biodegradable
waste, and increasing the level of recycling and
preparation for re-use of selected fractions of municipal
waste (paper, plastics, metals and glass). In addition,
under Art. 6 of the Landfill Directive, Poland is obliged
to take measures in order that only waste that has been
subject to treatment, that is, subject to appropriate
physical, thermal, chemical or biological processes,
including sorting, that change the characteristics of the
waste in order to reduce its volume or hazardous nature,
facilitate its handling or enhance recovery, will be
deposited on landfill sites. What is particularly difficult
is to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste sent
to landfill and pre-treatment of the whole volume of
waste prior to its landfilling. This is connected with the
necessity to build new installations and introduce waste
treatment technology that would make it possible to
reduce the negative impact on the environment.
The information presented in Chapter 2 of this
report shows that Poland does not currently have the
infrastructure for treatment of municipal waste with the
capacity sufficient for fulfilling the EU requirements and
meeting the waste management targets adopted in the
KPGO 2014. The ZZOs, including the regional waste
treatment installations, should become the foundations
of the modern waste management in Poland. In
most cases, the construction of the regional waste
treatment installations is at the stage of documentation
preparation or construction. As part of the process
of WPGO updating, it will be necessary to carry out
a review of the existing and planned municipal waste
treatment installations in individual municipalities,
regions and provinces, including consultations with
business in the process. The change in legislation will
force municipalities to reserve additional processing
capacity for treatment of municipal waste (including
mechanical and biological treatment, thermal treatment,
composting, sorting), which should significantly reduce
the risk related to the flow of waste sent to individual
installations and thus accelerate the process of taking
investment decisions by entrepreneurs.
Plannned thermal municipal waste treatment
plants
KPGO 2014 treats thermal waste treatment as the
preferred treatment method for unsorted municipal
waste for waste management regions with at least
300 thousand people. In the smaller regions, the basic
method of unsorted waste treatment is mechanical
and biological treatment. Currently in Poland there is
only one small installation for thermal waste treatment
(ZUSOK) located in the Warsaw district of Targówek,
which in 2010 incinerated 39 thousand tons of waste.
Whereas the experience of the ‘old’ EU member states,
for instance, as in the example of Stockholm described
in Chapter 3, thermal municipal waste treatment plants
(ZTPOK) are of key importance for the proper operation
of the waste management system in big cities.
The total processing capacity of the planned Polish
thermal waste treatment plants is approx. 2.4 m tons
per year. The total capital expenditure for the projects
whose main components are ZTPOK has been estimated
at 8.1 billion PLN, with most of the funding planned
to include the EU subsidies under the Operational
Programme Infrastructure and Environment [POIiŚ].
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 61
Apart from the planned 11 ZTPOKs, several other
cities in Poland are considering the construction of
similar installations. Because of that and because of
the fact that the data in the table are of preliminary
and approximate nature, subsequent updates of the
information on the planned waste incineration plants
in Poland should be expected. Experts emphasise that
the currently planned installations and thermal waste
treatment processing capacity are not sufficient for the
needs of a country that produces more than 12 m tons
of municipal waste4 annually. Assuming that ultimately
1/3, that is, about 4 m tons of municipal waste
produced in the country will be subject to thermal
treatment, it means that 16 incinerating plants will be
needed with the capacity of 250 thousand tons per year.
Table 4.1. Selected planned thermal waste treatment plants in Poland
Processing
capacity
No.
City
thousand
Mg / year
Project cost
estimate (*)
PLN million
EU subsidy estimate
PLN
million
1
Warszawa
265
590
n.d.
2
Kraków
220
792
372
% of
project
cost
n.d.
Status of EU-grant application
Project not applying for EU subsidy in
the programming period 2007-2013
46.9% Subsidy agreement signed
Project
procurement
Traditional
Traditional
3
Łódź
200
857
337
39.3%
PPP
4
Poznań
240
1 071
352
32.9%
PPP
5
Gdańsk
250
539
296
55.0%
Application for EU subsidy planned for
2014-2020 financial perspective
Traditional
6
Ruda Śląska
(GZM)
500
1 699
1 129
66.5%
Application for EU subsidy planned for
2014-2020 financial perspective
PPP
7
Szczecin
150
576
255
44.3% Subsidy agreement signed
Traditional
8
"Bydgoszcz,
Toruń"
180
620
340
54.8% Subsidy agreement signed
Traditional
9
Białystok
120
652
210
32.2%
Traditional
10
Koszalin
120
403
198
49.2%
PPP
11
Konin
120
314
155
49.2%
Traditional
4 PPP projects
1 060
4 030
2 016
50.0%
7 remaining projects
1 305
4 083
1 627
39.9%
8 113
3 643
44.9%
Total 11 projects
(*) The financial data refers to the whole project of which ZTPOK is the main component
Sources: List of individual projects for the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2007-2013, updated in August 2011; Ministry of Regional Development,
Department for Individual Projects’ Preparation; www.zusok.com.pl; Fortum; Presentation „System gospodarki odpadami dla Miasta Poznania. Koncepcja realizacji projektu
w formule PPP” [“Waste management system for the city of Poznań. A concept for the implementation of the project in the PPP format”] of 16.06.2011, B. Sajnaj
4
62
How many waste incineration plants does Poland need? For an
Internet portal wnp.pl: Henryk Skowron, PhD, of the Engineering
Consulting Bureau, Tadeusz Pająk, PhD, Department of Power
Engineering and Environmental Protection of the AGH University
of Science and Technology in Kraków.
4.2. Benefits and economic incentives for thermal waste treatment
In the “old” EU member states, there are hundreds of
thermal waste treatment plants. These installations are
extended, modernized, new ones are built and their
operation is not contested by the local communities,
as everyone is aware of the benefits drawn from such
a way of waste disposal, that is, burning it while
recovering the electricity and heat. Such incineration
plants are often located in big cities (e.g. in Paris,
Vienna, Stockholm) and play the role of installations
vital for the reduction of significant amounts of waste
and for depositing on landfill sites only small amounts of
pre-treated secondary waste.
Plants for thermal treatment of municipal waste,
popularly called incineration plants, are vital
elements of a modern waste management system in
big cities. Their main advantage is the
environmentally friendly manner of disposing of
waste which is a local fuel used for combined
generation of electricity and heat.
The main benefits of the thermal treatment of waste
include:
• A comprehensive solution for disposal of different
types of municipal waste in a manner that is
environmentally friendly and safe for people’s health;
• Achieving economic results in municipal waste
disposal better or comparable to other methods,
with the assumption that it is possible to sell the
heat generated in the process and that the support
mechanisms such as energy certificates of origin and
gate fee remain stable;
• Contributing to the fulfillment of EU directives
concerning the methods of disposing of municipal
waste, including the reduction of landfilling of
biodegradable waste and achieving the required
recovery levels;
• A positive stimulus for the economy and an important
source of income for engineering, construction
companies and equipment suppliers as well as
a source of taxes and jobs for the people in the city or
region during the operation of the installation.
• Facilitating the reduction of emissions of CO2 and
other substances harmful for the environment –
modern incineration plants emit 10-20 times less
ashes, dioxins, sulphur and heavy metals than is
allowed by UE standards;
• Meeting the strict environmental standards related
to noise emissions, vibration, soil and ground water
pollution or impact on flora and fauna.
Municipal waste – energy potential for Poland:
• Assuming that ultimately 1/3, that is, approx. 4 m tons of municipal waste
generated in Poland will be treated thermally and adopting the parameters of
a typical incineration plant with processing capacity of 250 thousand tons, we
will receive 2.2 TWh of produced electricity and approx. 6.5 TWh (23,6 PJ) of
heat per year5.
• Combined production of significant amounts of
electricity and heat, treated partly as renewable
energy, reducing the use and transport of traditional
fuels such as coal;
• 4 m tons of municipal waste have the energy value comparable to 1.3 billion m3
of natural gas6.
• Potential re-use of post-processing waste, especially
slag in road construction;
• Average calorific value of 1 kg of municipal waste ranges between 8 and 14 MJ/
kg and is similar to the calorific value of the lignite available in Poland;
• Plastic is the most calorific type of waste. Its calorific value is comparable to
heating oil. A plastic bottle left on a landfill site will take even 500 years to
decompose;
5
To compare, in 2010, the Turów Power Plant, with 7% share in
the national production of electricity, burnt about 10 m tons of
lignite and produced about 10 TWh of electricity.
6
To compare, according to the data of URE [Energy Regulatory
Office], the total consumption of natural gas in Poland in 2010
amounted to 14.4 billion m3. Foreign gas supplies, amounting to
approx. 10.1 billion m3, were supplemented with the gas from
domestic sources in the amount of 4.2 billion m3.
• From one plastic bag it is possible to recover enough energy to power a 60W
bulb for 10 minutes. Electricity generated from the 7 billion plastic bags used
annually by Poles would be enough to power 60W bulbs for ten minutes, in 7
billion houses on Earth;
• It takes about 20 buckets of garbage to heat a 60 m2 flat for 24h, with the
outside temperature of -15OC.
Source: Fortum, Deloitte
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 63
Support mechanisms
Modern and environmentally friendly installations
for municipal waste treatment enjoy various types of
support mechanisms across Europe, including subsidies
or additional charges for less environmentally desirable
ways of waste disposal according to the hierarchy set by
the Framework Directive.
The economic incentives for construction modern
thermal municipal waste treatment plants in Poland,
available on the condition of using appropriate
technology and meeting certain requirements, include:
• EU subsidies for co-financing of qualifiable costs of
the construction of an installation granted under
POIiŚ [Operational Programme Infrastructure and
Environment] during the programming period
2007-2013. It is also expected that funds will be
allocated for similar activity in the 2014-2020 financial
perspective;
Diagram 4.1. Fees for depositing waste on landfill sites in the years 20062015
200
200
180
180
160
160
140
• Certificate of origin for energy from renewable
sources (the so called green certificates);
• Certificate of origin for energy from highly efficient
co-generation (the so called red certificates);
• Fees for the use of natural environment, in particular,
fees charged for depositing waste on a landfill site.
In order to obtain a grant for co-financing the
construction of a ZTPOK, it is necessary to meet
a number of formal requirements defined in the
guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Regional
Development [MRR] and Jaspers, in particular, for
income generating projects, to demonstrate the
existence of the so called financing gap, that is,
a difference between the capital expenditure and the
discounted net revenue from the undertaking.
The detailed conditions for recognizing the energy as
generated from renewable sources and from highlyefficient co-generation have been set in the relevant
regulations issued by the Minister of Economy and the
Minister of Environment on cancellation of certificates
of energy origin, on highly efficient co-generation and
on treatment of municipal waste. For instance, a key
condition for having part of the produced heat and
electricity recognized as generated from a renewable
source is the achievement of a fixed amount of at least
42% share of the energy from the chemical fraction of
biodegradable waste treated at a ZTPOK.
140
120
104.20
107.85
100.00
100
75.00
80
60.00 61.50
60
64.08 66.32
40
20
0
15.39 15.71
14.17 14.47
20.0
20.50
21.36
22.11
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
2007
40
35
2012
2013
45
50
2014
2015
Municipal waste e.g. Unsorted municipal waste (20 03 01)
Non-hazardous waste after mechanical treatment (19 12 12)
Non-hazardous and inert waste. e.g. slag and ashes (19 01 12)
Sources: Announcements of the Minister of Environment on the amount of fees for the use of natural
environment (years 2006-2011); Draft Regulation of the Council of Ministers on fees for depositing waste
on landfill sites dated 4 February 2011 (years 2012-2015)
64
An important economic mechanism justifying the
decision to direct the flow of municipal waste not to
a landfill site but to modern thermal treatment plants
are the fees charged for depositing waste on landfill
sites (the so called marshal’s fee [gate fee?])tzw.
opłata marszałkowska). The diagram below shows the
historical evolution of the amount of this fee in the
years 2006-2011 on the basis of the announcement of
the Minister of Environment on the amount of fees for
the use of natural environment and the planned rate of
these fees on the basis of the draft Regulation of the
Council of Ministers on fees for depositing waste on
landfill sites dated 4 February 2011.
What attracts attention in the Draft Regulation of the
Council of Ministers, is the planned further increase
of the fee for depositing waste on landfill sites up
to the target level of 200 PLN per ton in 2015 and
standardization of fees for unsorted municipal waste (20
03 01) and mechanically treated non-hazardous waste
(19 12 12). The significant difference (about 39% in
the years 2009-2011) in the rates of fees for landfilling
unsorted municipal waste and mechanically treated
waste has led to a great increase in the volume of the
waste sent to landfill after the so called mechanical
sorting, from the level of about 300 thousand tons in
2005 to 1.8 m tons in 2009; and it is a common belief
that part of this volume is a result of a pathological
practice of bogus waste sorting by some fraudulent
companies7.
In spite of the existence of the supporting mechanisms,
Poland has been having difficulties in implementing
the biggest projects of constructing modern waste
treatment installations for years. One of the reasons
has been the uncertainty related to ensuring the proper
flow of waste for the planned thermal waste treatment
plants, unacceptable for private investors and financial
institutions.
7 National Chamber of Waste Management, Assessment of the
draft Regulation of the Council of Ministers on fees for depositing
waste on landfills, 17 August 2010.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 65
4.3. Selected aspects of a ZTPOK construction project
Construction of a thermal waste treatment plant is
a complex investment project which requires
efficient management and detailed consideration of
the financial, technical and legal issues over
a long-term perspective. The success of such an
undertaking depends, among other things, on very
careful preparation of all documents, carrying out
consultation, defining the scope of cooperation and
the requirements regarding the private sector
(general contractor, technology suppliers, possibly
also installation operator and investor), and
securing public acceptance for the project.
In the Polish conditions, the key challenges related to
the construction of a ZTPOK include:
• To reconcile the interests of different stakeholders
(municipalities, local community, private companies,
financial institutions, etc.);
• A complex investment process, including the necessity
to obtain a number of administrative decisions and
permits;
• Availability and quality of waste as well as the local
heat market;
• Stability of the support mechanisms, including the
sale price of energy certificates of origin and the rate
of fees for depositing waste on landfill sites (gate fee);
• Combining the public-private partnership (PPP) format
with co-financing of qualifiable project costs from EU
funds;
• Attitude of the environmental NGOs and public
acceptance.
Figure 4.1. ZTPOK stakeholders
Legislative
and executive
bodies
Municipal
waste
suppliers
Heat and
electricity
distributors
Recipients of
slag and
recovered raw
materials
Nongovernmental
organisations
Municipality
or union of
municipalities
Landfill sites
Plants for thermal
treatment of municipal
waste (ZTPOK)
International
financila
institutions
and commercial
banks
Local
community
Investors
The public
Technology
suppliers
Source: Author’s own compilation
66
General
contractor and
subcontractors
Installation
operator
Stakeholders’ requirements
As the illustration below shows, thermal waste
treatment projects have a number of stakeholders
and involved entities and for this reason require a lot
of consultation and negotiation in order to develop
the best consensual solutions, adapted individually to
every project. Under the amended Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities, it is the
municipalities that play the leading role here by ensuring
the construction, maintenance and operation of regional
waste treatment installations, either their own or owned
jointly with other municipalities.
The main groups of stakeholders in a ZTPOK project and
their selected requirements include:
1.Municipality or municipalities forming a union and the
local community:
• A positive balance of the economic costs and
benefits of the project,
• The safety of relations with the other party to the
transaction,
• Possible off-balance-sheet treatment of the project,
• Service affordability and certainty of municipal
waste collection,
• Installation that is environmentally friendly and safe
for human life;
2.Private investors:
• A possibility to expand geographically and to
increase business diversification;
• A long-term, stable contract,
• A possibility to generate additional income,
• A satisfactory return on the invested capital;
3.General contractor and sub-contractors, technology
suppliers and the installation operator;
4.Suppliers and recipients of materials, energy and
services;
5.International financial institutions and commercial
banks:
• A project consistent with the binding law and
environmental standards, including BAT;
• Credible partners and clear principles of
cooperation between the public and the private
sectors,
• Security of the investment project: assessment of
the rights of the private partner, assignability of
rights and claims,
• Verified and bankable financial model of the
project,
• Protection of the lender’s rights in case of contract
termination;
6.National bodies implementing EU funded projects and
managing the granting of EU funds:
• Achieving the goals of the Operational Programme
Infrastructure and Environment,
• Meeting the requirements set by the Ministry of
Regional Development and the Jaspers guidelines,
• A positive balance of the economic costs and
benefits of the project,
• Project sustainability.
Investment process
Construction of a thermal waste treatment plant is
a complex investment project which requires efficient
management and detailed consideration of the financial,
technical and legal issues over a long-term perspective.
The proper and diligent carrying out of the investment
process requires efficient management, from preparation
of the necessary documents and analyses, through
market consultations, through tender procedures,
negotiating the commercial and financial terms in order
to conclude the relevant contracts, to construction
work and monitoring of the commercially operating
installation. If the project is co-financed from the EU
funds, the project will also have to be verified both at
the national and at the European Commission level.
The work at the project implementation stage involves:
• Concluding contracts with suppliers and recipients of
materials, energy and services (supply of municipal
and industrial waste, collection of electricity and heat,
collection and transport of slag and ashes, collection
of recycled materials, maintenance services, etc.);
• Obtaining or transferring the necessary administrative
decisions and permits;
• Preparing the building permit design and the detailed
design;
• Commencing and carrying out construction works;
• Interim inspections and final acceptance of works and
handing the installation over for operation.
Obtaining or transferring the necessary administrative
decisions or permits includes, in particular:
• Administrative decisions related to the impact of the
installation on the natural environment (obtaining the
decision on the environmental conditions for approval
for project implementation and the relevant permits,
e.g. integrated permit, gas and dust emission permit,
water permit for discharge of wastewater into water
or ground and waste generation permit);
• Obtaining the building permit;
• Obtaining license for electricity generation under the
Energy Law Act;
• Possibly, obtaining license for heat generation
and approval for the heat tariff from URE [Energy
Regulatory Office] under the Energy Law Act (a clear
assessment whether it is necessary to obtain a heat
generation license and to submit the heat tariff for
URE approval may only be possible after verifying the
technological parameters of a project).
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 67
Availability and quality of waste
So far, projects related to thermal treatment of municipal
waste have been burdened with uncertainty as to
availability of waste flow. This issue has been eventually
solved by the amendment of the Act on maintaining
cleanliness and order in municipalities. According to the
new legislation, municipalities will become owners and
holders of municipal waste, which will enable rational
planning and managing of the waste disposal system.
Municipalities or unions of municipalities will be able
to guarantee the flow of waste to a ZTPOK throughout
the whole economic lifetime of the plant, including
the period of debt financing and the duration of the
contract with the private investor if such were to be
involved in the project.
It is particularly important to adjust the municipal and
industrial (if used) waste processing capacity and the
technical parameters of the planned installation to the
local conditions, that is, to the planned target waste
management system and to the quality of the waste
available in the region in which the ZTPOK will operate.
The changing preferences of manufacturers and
consumers as well as the planned changes in waste
management, connected with separate collection and
recycling will affect the calorific value of the municipal
waste sent to the incineration plant. In particular,
separate collection of the light packaging waste will
lower whereas separate collection of bio-waste will
increase the calorific value of the waste. The above
mentioned factors require such design of the installation
that it can work with optimal performance within the
set range of calorific values throughout the lifetime of
the plant.
Selecting the model for project implementation
and sources of financing
Selecting the scheme of project implementation
is an important issue. Municipalities or unions of
municipalities may select the best model, from
traditional implementation in the form of a public
tender and then operating the installation themselves to
various forms of private sector involvement, taking into
consideration, inter alia, local conditions of the project,
availability of funding as well as their own competence
or the competence of municipality owned companies to
manage complex investment projects. Depending on the
selected solution, the responsibility and the role of the
public and private sectors will vary.
Figure 4.2. Selecting the model for implementing a ZTPOK project
A joint-venture
PPP scheme (DBFOM)
Traditional procurement
Project components
Design
Build
Finance
Operate
Determine public
authority
competences
Legal constraints? Political reality?
Define sector
and/or
project needs
Speed? Efficiency? Needs? Innovation?
Determine who should
do what
Desired partnership
structure
Maintain
What am I allowed to do?
What do I want to do?
How are we going to
pay for it?
Who can and should
do what?
Who should bear
what risks?
Optimal mix of public and private involvement in project delivery
Source: Partnering for value, Structuring effective public-private partnerships for infrastructure, A Deloitte Research Study.
68
Own
The costs of constructing a ZTPOK constitute an
important part of expenditure, even in the budgets
of the biggest Polish cities. The available forms of
financing include both, such that are characterised by
the on-balance-sheet treatment of the projects from the
local government point of view (direct investment loan
from international financial institutions and commercial
banks as well as municipal bonds) and such that, with
the appropriate transaction structuring may not affect
debt public indicators (revenue bonds, leasing or PPP).
Taking into account a slowdown in revenue increase,
accumulation of capital expenditure and the necessity
to maintain the required public debt indicators, city
authorities more and more often consider alternative
methods of financing and implementing investment
projects, such as: public-private partnership or a joint
venture, implemented together with a private partner.
It is important, however, that the criterion of the
off-balance-sheet treatment of a project should not
be the only one that determines the selection of given
method of financing.
Projects implemented in the public-private partnership
format differ from the traditional public procurement in
the following aspects:
• Long-term, even 20-30-year cooperation based on
an agreement between a public entity and a private
partner;
• Taking into account all the costs and benefits of the
project throughout the lifetime of the plant;
• Transfer to the private partner of selected risks
related to the task implementation, such as design,
construction, financing and availability of the
installation, which play a decisive role in generating
the value added by the project;
• Possible remunerating the private partner for
availability of the services of certain quality and
adjusting the payment if the required availability and
the specific service parameters are not achieved;
• Financing a significant part of the project costs by
external financial institutions.
It is worth noting that on entering into force of the Act
on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities,
that is on 1 January 2012, when fulfilling their tasks
related to ensuring the construction, maintenance and
operation of the regional municipal waste treatment
plants, municipalities will, first of all, be obliged to
select the entity that will build, maintain and operate
the regional waste treatment installation, by way of
public tender or following the principles set in the Act
on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities
or the Act on licenses for construction works or
services. Only when such procedure is unsuccessful,
a municipality will be able to fulfill the task of building,
maintaining and operating a regional municipal waste
treatment plant on its own.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 69
Revenue from sale of:
- Heat
- Electricity
- Green and red certificates
- Recovered and recycled materials
Fees for collection and
transport of waste
Source: Author’s own compilation
(*) Role of the Operator may be played directly by the SPV
Recipients of
products
Collection and
transport companies
Inhabitants
Fees for management
of municipal wastei
Operator
(*)
Cooperators
Subcontractors
Special Purpose Vehicle
Support agreement
Own capital
and/or
subordinated debt
Loan
agreements
Penalties for low
quality of service
General
Contractor
Gate fee
Municipality or union
of municipalities
Contract (EPC)
Figure 4.3. An example of a project structure under the DBFOM model
Investors
Financial
institutions
Using the PPP format or a license for ZTPOK implementation may bring added value but is complicated and requires the local government to be properly prepared.
Municipalities that decide to implement the project using the design - build - finance - operate – maintain (DBFOM) model should consider, among other things, the fact
that, paradoxically, while the construction of the plant, in this model, usually goes smoothly, the preparation of appropriate analyses, tender documentation, carrying out
the negotiations and getting to the commercial and financial closure of the transaction is a long and complex process. An example of a project structure and the contractual
relations between the parties involved, in the DBFOM model are shown in the diagram below.
PPP contract
(DBFO/M)
Contract (O&M)
70
Combining the PPP format with EU funding
The implementation of the so called hybrid projects,
combining the PPP format with EU funding is particularly
long and complex. If the competitiveness of the private
partner selection process is ensured, combining the two
formats makes it possible to use all of their benefits.
EU funding makes unprofitable public undertaking
attractive for private partners, whereas public services
remain affordable for the people. At the same time, the
public entity benefits from the efficiency and experience
of the private sector.
Implementation of a project using the hybrid model
requires, in fact, a two-path approach, one for the
selection of the private partner, the other for applying
for EU funding, e.g. following the diagram presented
below, which assumes the public entity applying for EU
funding before the commercial closure of the project.
It is also possible to apply for EU funding after the
commercial closure of the project, which helps avoid
the risk of overfunding, yet makes it more complicated
to submit private partners’ bids and extends the whole
investment process (the project will not be implemented
until the application review is completed and the
amount of subsidy is confirmed).
Figure 4.4. An example of a hybrid project procedure
Ex-ante analyses,
Market consultations
Procedure for
selection of
the private partner
Applying for EU funding
Application for funding
Assessment of
application
at the national
and Jaspers level
Financing agreement
Announcement
of procedure
Transfer of application to
the EC
Negotiations
Selection of
the private partner
Application
update
Assessment of
application by EC
Decision of EC
Financial
closure
Source: Ministry of Regional Development
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 71
„Vicious circle” of subsidy calculation
Figure 4.5. “Vicious circle” of calculating the amount of subsidy for a hybrid
project
Unknown price
of services
(gate fee)
Unknown
amount of
loan/financial
costs
Unknown
amount of private
financing
Unknown
revenues
Unknown
financing gap
Unknown amount
of subsidy
Source: Osiągnąć więcej wydając mniej – projekty hybrydowe w praktyce, Łukasz Piekarski, Michał
Czarnecki, Departament Przygotowania Projektów Indywidualnych Ministerstwa Rozwoju Regionalnego,
Forum PPP Nr 1(14)/2011 [To achieve more while spending less – hybrid projects in practice], Łukasz
Piekarski, Michał Czarnecki, Ministry of Regional Development, Department for Individual Projects’
Preparation, PPP Forum No. 1(14)/2011
Combining the PPP format with the use of EU funding
in ZTPOK projects makes it necessary, on the one
hand, to carry out a detailed risk analysis, the so called
Public Sector Comparator, and to demonstrate the
Value for Money, whereas on the other it requires
the fulfillment of certain MMR [Ministry of Regional
Development] and Jaspers requirements and guidelines
related to POIiŚ [Operational Programme Infrastructure
and Environment] and revenue-generating projects,
including demonstrating the existence of the so called
financing gap. The calculation of the financing gap,
that is, a difference between the capital expenditure
and the discounted net revenue, which determines the
level of a possible EU subsidy, significantly complicates
the process of project preparation. For a hybrid project,
this calculation resembles an equation with several
unknowns, whose solution is only possible by the
method of successive approximations (iterations). It is
worth noting here, that EU funding fills only part of the
financing gap (maximum up to 85%), and the rest of it
has to be filled by the public entity, because the private
partner will not cover the expenditure which he will not
be able to recover from the income. The EU regulations
make it also necessary to monitor the level of income
generated by the project, which, in turn, may mean that
the financing gap may need to be re-calculated and, in
some cases, the subsidy may have to be returned.
A separate issue is a very strictly prescribed time for
implementation of a project co-financed by the EU.
Under the current financial perspective 2007-2013,
the deadline for qualifying expenditure, that is, for
accounting for all capital expenditure, is 15 December
2015. By that time, the public entity must conclude
the selection of the private partner, who, in turn, must
ensure the financial closure of the transaction, design,
build the plant and hand it over for operation. For this
reason and because of the complexity of the investment
process of preparing and building a waste incineration
plant, it is already clear that some ZTPOK projects
in Poland will apply for EU funding only under the
2014-2020 financial perspective.
72
Taxation issues
Below we address some selected issues related to
taxation of the activity consisting in thermal waste
treatment that should be taken into consideration at the
project preparation stage:
• Standard CIT rate - 19%, no special tax breaks or
discounted rates for entities doing business in thermal
waste treatment;
• Tax losses can be carried forward into subsequent
years, following the principle that a loss must be
settled, at the latest, in the fifth year after the tax year
in which it occurred and that in a given year 50% of
the amount of loss from previous years can be settled;
• In principle – deducting the subsidy income from
the taxable income and at the same time excluding
the costs financed with the subsidy (including
depreciation of new assets in the part financed with
the subsidy) from the cost of revenue;
• Implementing an investment project in the PPP
format or a license format – detailed tax regulations
favouring this form of activity;
• Taking into consideration the VAT claims for the public
entity and the private partner, including a possibility
to apply a reduced VAT rate (currently 8%) to selected
services connected with removal and treatment of
waste.
During the construction and operation of a ZTPOK it
is necessary to take into account the VAT settlement.
From the point of view of local government units (JST),
the amount of VAT-related fiscal burden may be of
great importance (in principle, VAT listed on the invoice
is a cost for a JST). Depending on the type of a project
and the manner of its implementation, there may be
solutions that would make it possible to reduce this
burden. In case of applying for EU funding it is also
important whether VAT may or should be treated as
a qualifiable project cost.
For a potential private partner it is of fundamental
importance to be able to settle the VAT in a smooth
and expedient manner at the project implementation
stage. Investment projects generate a lot of calculated
tax which is paid on purchase of goods and services.
Quick and timely refund of these payments from the tax
office has an impact on the cash flow of the company
implementing the project.
Public acceptance
The acceptance of the local community in which an
incineration plant is to be built is often a critical factor
determining whether a plant will be built in a given
location or not. Carrying out public consultations is
an indispensable element of an investment process,
in particular, necessary to obtain a decision on the
environmental conditions for approval of an investment
project. Since in Poland there is only one operating
incineration plant ZUSOK located in the Warsaw district
of Targówek, Polish local authorities find it difficult to
assess the level of public acceptance for a ZTPOK. In the
general opinion, incineration plants are perceived in the
context of big landfill sites or big combined heat and
power plants, which may evoke negative associations
and the NIMBY (“not in my back yard”) syndrome.
In western Europe, where such plants are carefully
blended with the architecture of the cities and do not
stand out in the landscape, the situation is different.
Modern incineration plants meet very strict technical
and environmental standards, and the logistics at
such plants is organised in such a way so as not to be
a nuisance for the neighbourhood.
Therefore, already at the very early stage of
implementing an incineration plant project, local
authorities with a better understanding of the needs
of the municipality and the region should engage in
a dialogue with the inhabitants, which should begin the
process of gaining public acceptance. The Polish society
acts rationally and has the ever greater awareness of the
issues related to rational waste management, which can
be seen from the results of a survey carried out among
inhabitants of the 7 biggest cities in Poland, presented
in Chapter 5 of the report. As part of their activities,
local governments should first present the arguments
showing local benefits, whereas all the arguments
related to legal and technical aspects may be presented
at a later stage (e.g. reduction of the consumption and
long-distance transport of fossil fuels and emissions of
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 73
substances affecting the natural environment, which
accompany the coal-fueled production of electricity and
heat). People usually need some time to think certain
arguments over and should not be forced to act fast.
The knowledge may be transferred in various ways: by
organising press conferences, by the radio, television but
also through reports and by publicising the experience
of the more developed markets. It is also advisable to
present the results of monitoring of an operating plant
to the public.
Municipal waste constitutes energy potential and a valuable source of green energy that can be
used in Poland
Poland can no longer delay the increase of waste processing capacity, and especially, the construction of
ZTPOKs, which are an indispensable component of a modern waste management system in big cities. Municipal
waste is a valuable local fuel which can be used for the combined production of electricity and heat which is
environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The amendment of the Act on maintaining cleanliness and order
in municipalities which eliminates the uncertainty as to the availability of the waste flow as well as the existence
of support mechanisms in the form of EU subsidies under POIiŚ, the green and red certificates for the produced
electricity and heat and fees for depositing waste on landfill, all this creates favourable climate for such projects.
Construction of a ZTPOK is a complex project which requires efficient management and detailed consideration
of the financial, technical and legal issues over the long-term perspective. Municipalities or their unions should
consider the scope and the terms of cooperation with the private sector, which, with the appropriate experience
and know-how, may help in successful implementation of incineration plants projects whereas the cooperation
between local governments and private companies may bring tangible benefits for both parties.
Among the currently planned 11 ZTPOKs in Poland, with the total processing capacity of about 2.4 m tons per
year, 4 are planned for implementation in the PPP format, and the remaining 7 in the form of a traditional public
tender for the design and construction of the installation. The total capital investment for the projects with
a ZTPOK as their main element has been estimated at the level of 8.1 billion PLN, with the financing of most of
them planned with a significant contribution of EU funding under POIiŚ. The processing capacity for thermal
waste treatment and the investment needs in this respect are, however, greater than that.
74
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 75
5. Waste – a social problem
5.1. Introduction to the survey and summary of the conclusions
Developing a concept of modern waste management
requires a number of activities carried out simultaneously
in a number of areas. The most important areas of
waste management include:
It consists of the following elements:
•organisation, that is, management and regulation
activities of the central and local governments;
•general acceptance and applying of waste sorting at
source, that is, at home;
•infrastructure, that is, construction of modern waste
treatment plants, i.e. plants for thermal treatment
of waste with energy recovery, mechanical and
biological treatment plants (MBT), composting plants,
modern landfill sites meeting the EU environmental
requirements as well as equipment and waste
logistics;
•publically approved custom of disposing of waste
in accordance with waste disposal rules, that is,
in appropriate places (this applies in particular to
disposing of bulky waste, batteries, medications,
electronic equipment, waste for recycling, clothes,
waste paper, glass, metals, plastics).
•waste management, that is, applying various
processes of preparing waste for re-use, waste
recycling, organic recycling, recovery and use of
substances, materials or energy from waste;
The public opinion survey presented further down in
the report, carried out in the biggest agglomerations
in Poland: in Warsaw, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań,
Gdańsk and Katowice, complements the analyses
describing the current condition and prospects for
the development of waste management. The survey
helps us learn about the views and attitudes of people
living in these cities on various aspects of the waste
management process.
•people, that is, the area including the activities of
inhabitants related to manufacturing and reducing
the production of waste, disposing and sorting of
household waste.
The new sustainable waste management system in
cities is, first of all, a serious social change – at the
level of awareness and attitudes which will translate
into actual activities of people living in cities. Effective
waste management is possible, inter alia, by creating in
households a new culture of handling waste.
•reflection about the volume of waste generated in
households and undertaking action aimed at reducing
this volume;
The table below presents the basic data concerning the
7 biggest Polish cities whose inhabitants participated in
the survey.
Table 5.1. Population and volume of the collected municipal waste in the 7 biggest cities in Poland in
2009
Population
City
million
people
Warszawa
Kraków
%
thousand Mg
%
kg / person
1 714
4.5%
733
7.3%
428
755
2.0%
302
3.0%
400
Łódź
742
1.9%
230
2.3%
310
Wrocław
632
1.7%
260
2.6%
411
Poznań
554
1.5%
250
2.5%
451
Gdańsk
457
1.2%
184
1.8%
403
Katowice
309
0.8%
134
1.3%
434
Total 7 biggest cities
Total Poland
5 163
13.5%
2 093
20.8%
405
38 167
100.0%
10 054
100.0%
264
Source: GUS [Central Statistical Office],City Halls
78
Municipal waste collected
The subject of the study has been the awareness, the
needs and the readiness of people living in big cities
to become part of a modern waste management
process. The questions also concerned the experience,
observations and satisfaction of the people with the
current organization of collection and disposal of
waste in cities. The inhabitants have also been asked
to evaluate the action of local governments and the
central government with respect to waste management.
Another aspect under study was the support for
legal changes leading to the improvement of waste
management quality and to eliminating the illegal waste
dumping.
The results of the survey will allow us to verify the
statement that the sources of the very poor condition
of waste management in Polish cities are not only the
weak legal solutions and infrastructure. Another barrier
to sustainable management of waste may be the low
level of awareness and involvement of people. The fact
that the survey has been carried out in several cities at
the same time makes it possible to compare the results
obtained in individual cities.
The conclusions will make it possible to relate the
attitudes of the population of Polish cities to the
opinions and attitudes of the inhabitants of the cities
considered the waste management leaders – to the
best practices in this area. Stockholm – the European
Green Capital 2010 – is a reference point here. We
hope that the results of the survey studying the opinion
of people living in the biggest Polish cities will become
an important element in the discussion over the
human aspect of waste management, in the context
of a challenge that is posed by the need to educate
and stimulate people to more active participation in
the organization of a modern system for managing
municipal waste.
The inhabitants of the biggest Polish cities have a pragmatic approach to
the issue of waste and its management
The problem of waste management has recently received a lot of publicity in the
media. Some of the media reports sound really alarming. However, the people
living in the biggest agglomerations approach the problem without strong
emotions. The results of the survey carried out among the inhabitants of the
7 biggest Polish cities, Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Łódź, Gdańsk and
Katowice, show, on the one hand, lack of any alarming phenomena connected
to dumping of waste, on the other hand, they point to great openness for
cooperation on waste management. Generally speaking, in the 7 biggest Polish
cities people have a much better opinion of the organisation of waste collection
(77% positive marks) than of the organization of its disposal (only 32% positive
marks).
The great majority of people living in big cities have a good opinion of the
modern methods of waste disposal, such as modern incinerating plants, recycling,
composting or biodegradation. What they do not trust are landfill sites (only 15%
positive marks). The opinions expressed by the respondents show that slightly more
than 1/3 of families engage in some sort of activity to improve waste management.
The most frequent one is waste sorting (41%), the least frequent – sorting and
disposing of medications in special dedicated containers (29%). The problem that
is noticed by the inhabitants of big cities is dumping of waste against the rules –
to somebody else’s container or into a place not dedicated to this purpose. Over
the last year 75% of respondents have come across such phenomena. People
are much better motivated to sort waste by infrastructure solutions (accessible
containers) and financial benefits than by educational campaigns, although they
too, according to 53% of respondents stimulate the positive behaviour. There are
visible differences in the assessment depending on the city. Generally, the people of
Poznań have the highest opinion of their waste management system.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 79
5.2. Opinions on the collection and disposal of waste in the place of residence
The inhabitants of the seven biggest cities in Poland,
Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Katowice, Gdańsk
and Łódź, in great majority (77%) positively assess the
organisation of the collection and transport of waste
in their city ( “rather well” – 62%, and “very well” an
additional 15%). Critical assessment has been expressed
by 19% of respondents. The relatively most critical are
the inhabitants of Łódź – 25% of negative assessments;
the least – the inhabitants of Poznań – only 11% of
negative asessments.
The inhabitants of the 7 biggest cities in Poland
have a positive opinion on the collection and
transport of waste, worse about its sorting and
disposal.
How do you assess the organisation of the collection and transport of waste
in your city?
77%
ogółem
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
81%
Gdańsk (n=122)
Gdańsk
81%
Kraków (n=203)
Kraków
Łódź (n=204)
72%
Poznań (n=150)
Poznań
85%
Warszawa (n=465)
Warszawa
Wrocław (n=171)
Wrocław
A much worse assessment than that given by the people
to the organisation of waste collection and transport,
has been the assessment of the “organization of
sorting and treatment” of waste in their city. The waste
treatment process is assessed negatively by more than
half of the respondents (55% of negative assessments
compared to 32% positive). In this respect, relatively,
the most critical are the inhabitants of Wrocław (62%
negative assessments) and Katowice (60%); and the
least – the inhabitants of Poznań – only 36% of negative
assessments. From the demographic point of view,
relatively, the most critical are the people aged 30-39;
the least – the oldest respondents, over 65 years of
age: 65% compared to 44% negative assessments. The
respondents with elementary education are the least
critical in their assessment of waste treatment – 47%
express negative opinions.
74%
72%
Katowice (n=83)
Katowice
82%
How do you assess the organisation of sorting and treatment of waste in
your city?
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
ogółem
32%
Gdańsk (n=122)
Gdańsk
35%
Kraków (n=203)
Kraków
29%
Łódź (n=204)
29%
Poznań (n=150)
Poznań
52%
Warszawa (n=465)
Warszawa
28%
Wrocław (n=171)
Wrocław
28%
Katowice (n=83)
Katowice
80
30%
Taking into consideration the demographic
characteristics, relatively the most critical are the people
aged 30-39; the least – the youngest ones (aged 18-30):
28% compared to 12% of negative assessments.
The frequency of giving a negative assessment of the
quality of waste transport services is influenced by the
education and gender of the respondents – the least
critical are the people with elementary education (13%
of negative assessments). Women are often more
critical than men: 24% compared to 13% of negative
assessments.
5.3. Opinions about accessibility of waste containers and the costs of collection and transport of waste
In big cities, most people notice the availability of waste
sorting containers. 62% of the population of the cities
under survey say that containers for waste sorting are
available within a short distance from their home (2-3minute walk). However, more than 1/3 of them do not
have such containers close by. Among the respondents,
37% say that they do not have such access.
Among the people who have easy access to waste
sorting containers – in 78% of cases there are more
than two types of containers. In 15% of cases – there
are only two containers (for unsorted municipal waste
and for “sorted” waste).
The awareness of the costs of waste collection and
transport is not common among the city inhabitants
under survey. More than half of the respondents (53%)
are not able to say what is the monthly cost of collecting
waste from their home. Such knowledge is much more
common among middle-aged people (40-50 years of
age) than among those in other age groups. Those
who do know the cost of waste collection, on average,
mentioned the cost of almost 40 PLN per month. On
average, the cost of waste collection is the highest in
Łódź (47 PLN), the lowest in Wrocław (33 PLN). What
is more, more than half (56%) of the respondents think
that the fees are at an appropriate level, whereas 27%
perceive them as too high.
44% of respondents would agree to a fixed fee
(depending on the amount), and 26% of them would
not like such a solution (30% have no opinion on that).
Most of the inhabitants of the cities under survey
do not have to travel far to their nearest waste
sorting containers. Those who do not own a house
usually do not know the cost of the waste
collection and transport service.
Are there waste sorting containers close to the place you live?”
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
ogółem
62%
Gdańsk (n=122)
(n=122)
Gdańsk
56%
Kraków (n=203)
(n=203)
Kraków
66%
Łódź (n=204)
(n=204)
Łódź
66%
Poznań (n=150)
(n=150)
Poznań
70%
Warszawa (n=465)
(n=465)
Warszawa
61%
Wrocław (n=171)
(n=171)
Wrocław
54%
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
(n=83)
66%
What is the cost of waste collection and transport in your household
Średnia (w
Average
(inPLN)
PLN)
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
ogółem
39,7
Gdańsk (n=122)
(n=122)
Gdańsk
39,8
Kraków (n=203)
(n=203)
Kraków
41,4
Łódź (n=204)
(n=204)
Łódź
47,0
Poznań (n=150)
(n=150)
Poznań
38,2
Warszawa (n=465)
Warszawa
Wrocław (n=171)
Wrocław
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
40,0
32,8
39,2
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 81
5.4. Waste management habits of city inhabitants
The inhabitants of big cities support rational waste
management with their behaviour, although these
activities could be more widespread. The problem
of illegal waste dumping is evidently noticed.
Segregacja
Segregacja
Segregacja
odpadów
odpadów
odpadów
ww
w
domu
domu
domu
Wyrzucanie
Wyrzucanie
Wyrzucanie
śmieci
śmieci
śmieci
do
do
do
pojemników
pojemników
pojemników
do
do
do
segregacji
segregacji
segregacji
Using
the containers
for
sorted waste
Sorting waste at home
41%
41%
41%
ogółem
ogółem
ogółem
(n=1400)
(n=1400)
Total(n=1400)
Gdańsk
(n=122)
Gdańsk
Gdańsk
Gdańsk
(n=122)
(n=122)
(n=122)
31%
31%
31%
Kraków
(n=203)
Kraków
Kraków
Kraków
(n=203)
(n=203)
(n=203)
30%
30%
30%
Łódź
(n=204)
Łódź
Łódź
Łódź
(n=204)
(n=204)
(n=204)
%23
36%
36%
37%
37%
%42 32%
%74
24%
24%
24%
7
75%
%43
%34
30%
39%
82
56%
56%
56%
35%
35%
35%
30%
30%
30%
30%
30%
30%
34%
34%
34%
48%
48%
48%
35%
35%
35%
43%
43%
43%
35%
36%
%24
39%
39%
39%
46%
35%
39%
%84
Katowice (n=83)
47% )38=n( 47%
ec iwo ta K
46%
30%
41%
29%
36%
53%
33%
30%
28%
(n=171) )133%
33%
%Wrocław
03
71=n( wa łcorW 36%
23%
33%
28%
33%
(n=465) )533%
%14Warszawa
64=n( awazsra28%
W
33%
58% 23%
30%
Łódź36%
(n=204) )4036%
2=n( źdóŁ 28%
47% )051=n47%
56%Poznań (n=150)
( ńanzoP
33%
58%
%0Kraków
3 25% (n=203)25%
)302=n( wó kar K30%
30%
35%
36%
36%
36%
75%
75%
75%
41%
41%
41%
%13Gdańsk (n=122)
43%
)221=43%
n( ksńadG
56%
%96
%53
32%
32%
32%
47%
47%
47%
%14 Total (n=1400)
35%
) 035%
0 4 1 = n( meł ó g35%
o
32%
36%
37%
37%
37%
Oddawanie zużytego
Oddawanie zużytego
Wyrzucanie odpadów
Wyrzucanie odpadów
Wyrzucanie baterii
Wyrzucanie baterii
Sprzętu RTVSprzętu
i AGD RTV i AGD
w ó da p d o ajca ger geS budowlanych
Wyrzucanie leków
Wyrzucanie leków
budowlanych
do specjalistycznych
do specjalistycznych
odpowiednich
odpowiednich
Disposal
of building
waste do
Disposal
of do
batteries
to special
Disposal
of medicines
to the
specjalnych
do specjalnych
um o d w do
do
odpowiedniego
do
odpowiedniego
miejsca
miejsca
pojemnikówpojemników
punktów odbioru
punktów odbioru
to special containers
containers
right place
kontenerów
kontenerów
i recyklingu i recyklingu
o d iograniczanie
ceŚwiadome
im ś ei nac uograniczanie
zryW
Świadome
gacji
ijca ger geodpadów
sprodukcji
o d w ó ki nodpadów
mej o p
produkcji
%04
36%
36%
36%
69%
69%
69%
Katowice
(n=83)
Katowice
Katowice
Katowice
(n=83)
(n=83)
(n=83)
waste production
32%
32%
32%
42%
42%
42%
Warszawa
(n=465)
Warszawa
Warszawa
Warszawa
(n=465)
(n=465)
(n=465)
Świadome
Świadome
Świadome
ograniczanie
ograniczanie
ograniczanie
produkcji
produkcji
produkcji
odpadów
odpadów
odpadów
Consciously
reduction of
40%
40%
40%
Poznań
(n=150)
Poznań
Poznań
Poznań
(n=150)
(n=150)
(n=150)
Wrocław
(n=171)
Wrocław
Wrocław
Wrocław
(n=171)
(n=171)
(n=171)
Engaging the inhabitants of big cities in the process of
modern waste management is a great challenge for city
authorities. The biggest Polish agglomerations and the
people living there are, without a doubt, the leaders
of the whole process, but even here there is still a lot
to be done. The habits related to the production and
sorting of waste in households need to be changed. In
the survey, a question has been asked about people’s
observations with respect to habits in their environment
pertaining to important issues of waste sorting and
reduction of waste generation. Slightly more than
1/3 of people can see around them some examples
of behaviour supporting effective solutions to the
household waste issue. In the biggest cities, the most
popular behaviour optimising the management of
waste include: sorting waste at home (41%) and using
53%
46%
29%
30%
30%
29%
29%
22%
41%
29%
42%
29%
22%
32%
30%
42% 26%
46%
32%
30%
26%
38%
38%
Oddawanie
Oddawan
Oddawan
Sprzętu
Sprzętu
Sprzętu
RT
RR
do
do
do
specjali
specja
specja
punktów
punktów
punktów
o
i recyklingu
i irecykling
recyklin
the containers for sorted waste (40%), and, further
down the list, – conscious reduction of the volume of
waste (36%). Among the cities, Poznań definitely stands
out, in a positive way, the habit of sorting waste is the
most popular here – according to 69% of the people
surveyed, those around them do sort their waste at
home.
People living in big cities clearly see the problem of
illegal waste dumping. 35% of all the inhabitants of the
cities under survey say that they “regularly” come across
illegal waste dumping, and a further 40% – have seen it
several times. Only 23% of the respondents have never
witness such a practice. Those who come across this
problem most frequently are the inhabitants of Warsaw
(as much as 45% of them regularly come across this
practice); the problem is the least frequently seen by the
inhabitants of Gdańsk (22%).
Did you come across illegal waste dumping in the last year
(to someone else’s container, to forest, to illegal landfill)?
25%
47%
26%
Kraków (n=203)
(n=203)
Kraków
43%
31%
Wrocław (n=171)
Wrocław
32%
39%
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
17%
37%
45%
Warszawa (n=465)
Warszawa
2%
1%
5%
34%
35%
26%
Poznań (n=150)
(n=150)
Poznań
15%
47%
36%
Łódź (n=204)
(n=204)
Łódź
2%
3%
39%
36%
22%
Gdańsk (n=122)
(n=122)
Gdańsk
23%
40%
35%
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
ogółem
1%
22%
5%
25%
4%
Did you come across burning of waste in households in the last year?
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
ogółem
10%
Gdańsk (n=122)
(n=122)
Gdańsk
15%
7% 22%
Kraków (n=203)
(n=203)
Kraków
15%26%
Łódź
(n=204)
Łódź (n=204)
Poznań (n=150)
(n=150)
Poznań
Warszawa (n=465)
Warszawa
Wrocław (n=171)
Wrocław
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
40% 61%
27%
35%
76%
36%
28%
13%26%
28%
11% 31% 31%
14%
17%
39%
15%
59%
37%
43%
57%
32%66%
4%
2%
8%
1%
3%
5%
56% 34%
35%
33%
45%
7%
25%
68%
47%
17%
36%
6%
3%
2%
2%
3%
39%
53%
47%
23%
17%
1%
%
22%
1%
5%
25%
4%
Regularly
Several times
I did not notice
Hard to say
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 83
5.5. Approval or lack of approval for the construction of an incineration plant in the neighbourhood
Almost ¾ of people have declared that they would
agree to have a modern waste incineration plant
built in their district, whereas only 15% accept
depositing waste on a landfill site.
Would you agree to have a modern waste incineration plant built in your
district?
ogółem
Total(n=1400)
(n=1400)
22%
73%
Gdańsk (n=122)
Gdańsk
29%
68%
Kraków (n=203)
(n=203)
Kraków
13%
82%
4%
3%
4%
Łódź (n=204)
(n=204)
Łódź
76%
Poznań (n=150)
Poznań
75%
22%
3%
Warszawa (n=465)
Warszawa
73%
23%
3%
Wrocław
Wrocław (n=171)
13%
80%
8%
Relatively, the greatest number of the opponents
of waste incineration plants are among the oldest
respondents (in the group aged 65 or more there are
26% of those who oppose such a solution); however,
generally the age, or gender do not really influence the
attitude towards incineration plants. Having secondary
or higher education is usually accompanied by slightly
lower support for incineration plants).
5%
36%
59%
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
17%
7%
Yes
No
Hard to say
Why you don’t agree to have a modern waste incineration plant built in
your district?
Lack of approval for incinerator in city center, near to
people
Emitation of odours
Air pollution
Devastation of environment
Health risk
84
4%
4%
40%
40%
31%
31%
26%
26%
9%
9%
73% of people have declared that they would agree to
have a modern waste incineration plant built, provided
that all the environmental and safety standards were
met, among other things, the plant should have modern
air cleaning filters and should generate electricity and
heat for the community. 22% would be against the
construction of such a plant. Relatively most often
such approval has been declared by the inhabitants of
Kraków (82%) and Katowice (80%), the least frequently
-- the inhabitants of Wrocław (59%). Those who would
not be willing to agree to construction of a modern
incineration plant in their district, are often people
who live in city centres, who think that it is not a good
location for an incineration plant (40% of those who
would not agree). The rest – of those who would not
agree – most often justified their view by the fear of foul
odour (31%) and air pollution (26%).
Assessment of various methods of waste
treatment and disposal
The respondents have been asked about their approval
for various methods of treatment and disposal of
waste. The highest approval has been granted to
“modern waste incineration plants” – as much as 71%
have a positive attitude towards them. Composting
and biodegradation is approved by 67% and 60%
respectively. Recycling is positively viewed by 64% of
respondents. The lowest level of approval has been
expressed for the landfill of waste. This method of waste
disposal is approved by only 15% of the inhabitants of
big cities.
Opinions of methods of treatment and disposal of waste
Modern waste
Nowoczesne spalarnie
incineration plants
Composting plant
Kompostowanie
71%
ogółem
Total (n=1400)
80%
Kraków
Kraków(n=203)
(n=203)
Łódź
Łódź(n=204)
(n=204)
62%
56%
62%
73%
71%
Warszawa
Warszawa (n=465)
(n=465)
Biodegradacja
Nowoczesne
Biodegradacja
spalarnie
Biodegradation
62%
Gdańsk
(n=122)
Gdańsk62%
(n=122)
62%
Kraków
(n=203)
Kraków62%
(n=203)
Łódź
(n=204)
60%
60%
Łódź
(n=204)
Poznań
70%
70%
Poznań (n=150)
(n=150)
Warszawa
67%
67%
Warszawa (n=465)
(n=465)
Wrocław
(n=171)
53%
53%
Wrocław
(n=171)
Katowice
73%
73%
Katowice (n=83)
(n=83)
67%
67%
77%
64%
64%
ogółem
Total (n=1400)
(n=1400)
70%
72%
67%
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
(n=83)
60%
69%
65%
Wrocław
Wrocław(n=171)
(n=171)
64%
56%
75%
Poznań
Poznań(n=150)
(n=150)
Biodegradacja
67%
76%
Gdańsk
Gdańsk (n=122)
(n=122)
ng
Recycling
Recykling
66%
Składowanie
Składowanie
Kompostowanie
na
wysypiskach
wysypiskach
Landfill ofna
waste
71%
60%
60%
59%
76%
59%
80%
66%
66%
55%
55%
75%
67%62%
62%
53%
53%
77%
73%
Recykling
Biodegradacja
15%
15% 67%
64%
16%
16%56%
62%
13%
13%56%
62%
12%
12%
73%
60%
21%
21%
69%
71%
63%
63%
65%60%
60%
53%
12%
12%
70%
72%
67%
23%
23%
17%
17% 66%
67%
53%
73%
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 85
Opinions on what could persuade people to sort
waste
The inhabitants of big cities can see two main elements
motivating them to proper management of waste at
home: proper infrastructure and financial incentives. As
the best motivation for waste sorting people have most
often indicated the availability of containers for sorted
waste (76%) and lack of charge for collection of sorted
waste (74%). Further down the list they have mentioned
– lower fees for sorted waste (66%) and the possibility
to sell the materials recovered from sorted waste (63%).
The respondents have appeared the least convinced
that educational campaigns may persuade people to
sort their waste, although still more than half of them
believe such methods may be effective.
Encouragement to segregate waste
Availability
containers for
Dostępnośćofpojemników
do
segregacji
sorted
waste
Total (n=1400)
ogółem
76%
Gdańsk
Gdańsk(n=122)
(n=122)
69%
Kraków
Kraków(n=203)
(n=203)
70%
66%
75%
75%
68%
72%
76%
Poznań
Poznań(n=150)
(n=150)
79%
76%
Warszawa
Warszawa(n=465)
(n=465)
78%
Wrocław
Wrocław(n=171)
(n=171)
79%
74%
74%
Total (n=1400)
66%
66%
75%
75%
Gdańsk (n=122)
68%
68%
Kraków58%
(n=203)
58%
72%
72%
76%
76%
Łódź 60%
(n=204)
60%
76%
76%
Poznań (n=150)
76%
76%
74%
74%
Warszawa (n=465)
66%
66%
Wrocław (n=171)
70%
70%
68%
68%
79%
79%
58%
78%
74%
Katowice (n=83)
71%
71%
69%
69%
61%
61%
65%
65%
68%
68%
57%
57%
69%
69%
66%
66%
76%
70%
79%
79%
66%
63%
63%
60%
66%
68%
Possibility of selling materials
recovered
the resultsurowców
of waste
Niższa
Niższaopłata
opłataza
zasegregowanie
segregowanie Możliwość
Możliwośćin
sprzedania
sprzedania
surowców
Akcje
Akcjeedukacyjne
edukacyjne
śmieci
śmieci
odzyskanych
odzyskanychwwwyniku
wynikusegregacji
segregacji Education campaigns
segregation
kopłaty
opłatyza
zaodbiór
odbiórśmieci
śmieci
egowanych
regowanych
Niższa opłata za segregowanie
śmieci
Lower fees for sorted waste
74%
Łódź
Łódź(n=204)
(n=204)
Katowice
Katowice (n=83)
(n=83)
86
Lack
of charge
for collection
Brak opłaty
za odbiór
śmieci
segregowanych
of
sorted waste
53%
53%
56%
56%
49%
49%
60%
60%
46%
46%
54%
54%
54%
54%
51%
51%
71%
Moż
odzy
Conclusion
Waste management systems in developed
countries involve the public, private capital and
modern technology
The complexity of the structures and systems of the
contemporary world is the reason why designing
a sustainable development strategy and setting the
priorities become difficult and require different approach
in individual countries, regions and cities.
Implementation of the sustainable development
principles, protection of the natural environment
and efficient use of resources constitute important
elements of the EU policy, reflected in the EU law and
the documents defining the strategic directions for
development, such as the Europe 2020 Strategy. EU
regulations emphasise the environmental protection and
the efficient use of resources. In the area of municipal
waste management, priority is given to reduction of
waste generation, recycling and recovery of energy from
waste with the reduction of waste landfill.
Developing a concept of modern waste management
requires a number of activities carried out simultaneously
in several areas. The most important areas of waste
management include: (i) management and regulation
activities and those related to the organisation and
control of the system, (ii) technology and infrastructure,
(iii) collection, transport and disposal of waste and
(iv) activities of the people related to manufacturing,
reduction of waste generation and waste sorting.
Modern trends in waste management, effectively
implemented by the developed EU member states, go
in the direction of greater involvement of the public and
the private sector and applying modern technology in
order to minimise the generation of waste, for recycling
and waste treatment. Private capital is used to supply
the necessary infrastructure and to provide the services
of waste collection, transport and disposal.
Figure 6.1. Modern trends in the municipal waste management
Future
Thermal treatment with
energy recovery
Minimising waste
generation and preparing
for re-use
The public
Public-Private Partnership
Private sector
Municipalities
Shareholders’ axis
Recycling
Disposal on landfill sites
Technology axis
Present
Source: Own compilation based on „W Warszawie o paliwie nie funkcjonującym w percepcji społeczeństwa” [In Warsaw on a fuel absent
from public perception”, Jacek Sobański, Nowa Energia 2(20)/2011
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 87
Poland is at the begining of the road towards
sustainable waste management
Municipal waste management is one of the most
neglected and the most burning environmental
problems of Poland. By ratifying the Accession Treaty
in 2003, Poland has made a number of commitments
which, in the area of waste management, include
reduction of waste sent to landfill, including
biodegradable waste and increasing the level of
recycling and preparation for re-use of selected fractions
of municipal waste (paper, plastics, metals and glass).
The main problems of municipal waste management in
Poland relate to the following phenomena:
1.The most common method of waste disposal in
Poland is landfilling (about 78% of the volume of
municipal waste collected in 2009). Several hundred
of landfill sites must be closed and re-cultivated;
2.Poland does not have modern infrastructure for the
management of municipal waste (installations for
mechanical and biological or thermal treatment of
waste). The issue that needs solving is the disposal of
waste during the transition period, after the landfill
sites are closed and before the installations become
operational;
3.So far Poland has made little progress in sorting and
separate collection of waste at source and in materials
recovery or recycling;
4.The waste management system is not tight enough.
Not all people, especially in the rural areas, are
covered by the formal municipal waste collection
system; some undesirable practices appear: the grey
zone, illegal dumping sites, disposing of waste on
one’s own.
88
Polish waste management system looks particularly poor
when compared to the developed EU member states,
where the more advanced waste disposal methods
predominate and where recycling reaches the level
of 30%. The difference between Poland and those
countries stems from their 30 years of experience in
implementing modern waste management solutions and
technologies.
The few positive aspects of the current situation include
the fact that Poland, with a lower level of affluence and
consumption as well as waste generation per capita
than the developed EU member states, will have to
make less effort to reduce the production of waste. By
using the experience of those countries, cooperating
with the private sector and using EU funding, Poland
has a chance to implement the new system efficiently,
following the model solutions and learning the lessons
from the mistakes made by others.
Local governments should prepare for sweeping
changes forced by the amended legislation
The issue of proper waste management, in view of the
changing legal environment and the necessity to meet
the EU requirements will become a great challenge for
local governments in the near future. The core of the
waste management reform in Poland is the amendment
of the Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities, which introduces important changes
to the Polish waste management system, based on
the systems operating in other European countries
(except Hungary), including greater responsibility of
local governments. In addition, in 2011 there are plans
to amend the Act on Waste and to adopt the Act on
packaging and packaging waste, which will make
it possible to fully transpose the most important EU
directives in the area of waste management into the
Polish legal system.
The necessary changes will not be possible without
close cooperation of all the stakeholders, that is,
local governments, the public and businesses with
proper experience and know-how. Municipalities will
be required to assume more responsibility for the
operation of waste management system, including the
construction, maintenance and operation of municipal
waste treatment installations, necessary to reduce the
volume of landfilled waste and to increase the level of
recovery and recycling.
Success in waste management will not only require local
governments to be professional in the way they manage
their network of service providers, but also to be very
competent in engaging in dialogue with the public with
the view to inducing desirable behaviour.
In order to effectively manage their relations with
the public and the service providers network, local
governments can8:
• Set goals, define values and create trust in their own
activities;
• Allocate the tasks and create a system of incentives;
• Monitor the achievements and effectiveness of
cooperation;
• Be pro-active in change management.
It is expected that municipalities, equipped with new
legal instruments, will organise the collection of waste
from all their inhabitants and will effectively contribute
to the improvement of waste management in Poland.
Figure 6.2. Cooperation between local government, the public and companies in the target
waste management system in Poland
EU requirements
National legislation
Waste mnagement targets
Companies
/
Co
m
ste
sy
e nt
th me
g
in ge
ag na
an ma
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d ste
an a
g rw
sin fo
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f
ga
Or
nt
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ct
m s fo
on r c
ito oll
rin ec
g tio
th n
e an
qu d
ali dis
ty p
of osa
se l o
rv f
ice w
s ast
e
/
Local
governments
The public
Provision of services: waste collection /
waste sorting at source
Source: Author’s own compilation
8
Stephen Goldsmith, William D Eggers, Governing by Network,
The New Shape of the Public Sector, Brooklings Institution Press,
Wahsington, D.C., 2005
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 89
What is the attitude of the public?
The survey carried out among the inhabitants of the 7
biggest Polish cities, Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław,
Łódź, Gdańsk and Katowice confirms that the public
has a pragmatic approach to the issue of waste and
waste management. The survey results show, on the
one hand, lack of any alarming facts connected with
waste collection and transport, on the hand, they
indicate great openness to cooperation in the disposal
of waste. People much better assess the organisation
of waste collection (77% positive assessments) than
the organisation of waste treatment (only 32% positive
assessments).
People living in big cities, in great majority, positively
assess modern methods of waste disposal, such as
modern incineration plants, recycling, composting or
biodegradation. It is worth noting that almost ¾ of
them have declared that they would agree to have
a modern waste incineration plant built in their district,
whereas only 15% of them accept depositing waste on
landfill sites.
People generally appreciate the gravity of the problem,
realise the necessity to sort waste at source, to recycle
and to use modern methods of waste treatment.
Emphasis should be placed on stimulating desirable
behaviour (by providing access to infrastructure, proper
system of facilities and incentives) and on building the
authority and confidence in local government in this
respect.
90
Municipal waste offers energy potential and
provides a valuable source of green energy that
can be used in Poland
The waste management sector offers a number of
business opportunities including both logistics and
waste treatment, with energy and materials recovery.
Taking into account the population of Poland (38 m
people), average number of people in a household (3
people) and the estimated monthly waste management
fee paid by one household (30 PLN/month), we get
the annual size of the municipal waste market in
Poland exceeding PLN 4.5 billion. It reflects the order
of magnitude of waste management fees which will be
collected nationally by municipalities from the public to
cover the costs of collection, transport and disposal of
waste as well as the costs of organisation, development
and administration of the system.
Poland urgently needs to increase the municipal
waste processing capacity, such as installations for
mechanical and biological waste treatment (MBT)
and thermal waste treatment (ZTPOK). Any delay
in the construction of the regional waste treatment
installations may jeopardise the achievement of the
waste management targets for the years 2013 and
2014. Here particularly important is the construction of
ZTPOKs, which, with great processing capacity at their
disposal, will become a key component of the planned
waste management systems in big cities (more than
300 thousand inhabitants). The amendment of the Act
on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities,
which eliminates the uncertainty with respect to the
waste flow availability and the existence of support
mechanisms in the form of EU subsidies under the
Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment,
of green and red certificates for the generated electricity
and heat as well as fees for depositing waste on landfill
sites provide favourable environment for this type of
investment projects.
Municipal waste is a valuable local fuel which may be
used for environmentally friendly and energy efficient
combined generation of electricity and heat in Poland.
The average calorific value of 1 kg of municipal waste
ranges from 8 to 14 MJ/kg and is similar to the calorific
value of the lignite available in Poland. If we assume
that ultimately 1/3, that is, about 4 m tons of municipal
waste generated in Poland will be thermally treated and
if we take the parameters of a typical waste incineration
plant with processing capacity of 250 thousand tons,
we will get approx. 2.2 TWh of electricity and 6.5 TWh
(23,6 PJ) heat generated annually. 4 m tons of municipal
waste has the energy value comparable to 1.3 billion
m3 of natural gas, which accounts for about 13% of the
annual import of gas to Poland.
Among the currently planned 11 ZTPOKs in Poland,
with the total processing capacity of approx. 2.4 m tons
per year, 4 are to be built under the PPP model, and
the remaining 7 following the traditional public tender
for the design and construction of the installation. The
total capital expenditure for the projects with a ZTPOK
as their main component, has been estimated at the
level of approx. PLN 8.1 billion. However, according
to experts, the necessary thermal waste treatment
processing capacity and the investment needs in this
respect in Poland are even greater.
Construction of a thermal waste treatment plant is
a complex investment project which requires efficient
management and detailed consideration of the financial,
technical and legal issues over a long-term perspective.
Municipalities or their unions should consider the scope
and the terms of cooperation with the private sector,
which, with the appropriate experience and know-how
may help in successful implementation of incineration
plants projects whereas the cooperation between local
governments and private companies may bring tangible
benefits for both parties.
It is expected that by developing investment projects,
infrastructure and services in the area of municipal waste
management it will be possible to create new jobs
both in the private sector and in the local government
administration. The availability of EU funding in the
current and the future financial perspective as well
as the interest of technology suppliers, construction
companies installation operators, investors and financial
markets in infrastructure projects provide a unique
opportunity for Polish regions and cities to make up for
the decades of backwardness in developing modern
waste management systems.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 91
List of illustrations
List of illustrations
Figure 1.1. Waste management hierarchy 14
Figure 1.2. Key legal requirements for waste management in Poland
21
Figure 1.3. Time limits for adapting the waste management system to the requirements of the amended Act on maintaining cleanliness
and order in municipalities
25
Figure 2.1. Types and number of municipal waste treatment installations in Poland as on 31 December 2009
40
Figure 3.1. Architectural rendering of the Brista 2 plant
53
Figure 3.2. Architectural rendering of the plant in Klaipeda
53
Figure 4.1. ZTPOK stakeholders
66
Figure 4.2. Selecting the model for implementing a ZTPOK project
68
Figure 4.3. An example of a project structure under the DBFOM model
70
Figure 4.4. An example of a hybrid project procedure
71
Figure 4.5. “Vicious circle” of calculating the amount of subsidy for a hybrid project
72
Figure 6.1. Modern trends in the municipal waste management
87
Figure 6.2. Cooperation between local government, the public and companies in the target waste management system in Poland
89
List of tables
Table 1.1. The key EU legislation regulating waste management issues
14
Table 1.2. The current and the target system of waste management in Poland – selected duties of the stakeholders
19
Table 1.3. The annual level of recovery and recycling required under the Act on packaging and packaging waste
20
Table 1.4. Key decisions to be made and action to be taken by local governments 26
Table 2.1. Places where municipal waste was generated in Poland in 2008
32
Table 2.2. Municipal waste composition in Poland by place of its generation in 2008
33
Table 2.3. Municipal waste generated and collected in 2009 by voivoidship
34
Table 2.4. Municipal waste treatment in the years 2007-2009
36
Table 2.5. Mixed and separately collected municipal waste in Poland in the years 2007-2009
36
Table 2.6. Waste management targets requiring regular monitoring according to KPGO 2014
38
Table 2.7. Requirements for landfill of biodegradable municipal waste in the years 2010, 2013, 2020
39
Table 2.8. List of municipal waste treatment installations in Poland as on 31 December 2009
41
Table 2.9. List of planned municipal waste treatment plants in Poland according to the binding WPGOs
42
Table 3.1. Comparing waste management in Sweden and in Poland in 2009
48
Table 3.2. Basic information about the Högdalen plant
51
Table 3.3. The parameters of the selected Fortum’s thermal waste treatment plants
54
Table 3.4. A technical diagram of a typical waste incineration plant using the solution applied by Fortum
56
Table 4.1. Selected planned thermal waste treatment plants in Poland
62
Table 5.1. Population and volume of the collected municipal waste in the 7 biggest cities in Poland in 2009
78
List of diagrams
Diagram 2.1. Production of municipal waste in the EU in 2009
30
Diagram 2.2 The amount of generated municipal waste per inhabitant in the EU countries in 2009
30
Diagram 2.3. Composition of municipal waste generated in Poland in 2008
32
Diagram 2.4. Municipal waste disposal in individual EU member states in 2009
35
Diagram 2.5. Separate collection of municipal waste in Poland in 2009
37
Diagram 3.1. Comparing the methods of waste management in Sweden and in Poland in 2009
49
Diagram 3.2. Comparing the methods of waste management in Stockholm and in Warsaw in 2009
50
Diagram 3.3. Comparing the actual emissions to the air from the Högdalen plant in 2009 with European standards
52
Diagram 4.1. Fees for depositing waste on landfill sites in the years 2006-2015
64
92
List of abbreviations
Abbreviation
Full name
BDO
Data base of products, packaging and waste management
cogeneration
Combined production of heat and electricity. Detail conditions for recongnising energy as produced in cogeneration have been set forth in
the Act – Energy Law
DB
Design - Build
DBFOM
Design - Build - Finance - Operate - Maintain
DBO/M
Design - Build - Operate - Maintain
EBRD
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC
European Commission
EIA
Environmental impact assessment
EIB
European Investment Bank
EPC
Engineering, Procurement, Construction
EU
European Union
EUR
Euro, official currency in 17 European Union member states
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
GJ
Gigajoule
GUS
Central Statistical Office (Główny Urząd Statystyczny)
GWh
Gigawatthour
GZM
Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia (Górnośląski Związek Metropolitalny)
i.a.
Inter alia
i.e.
That is
IRR
Internal rate of return
Jaspers
Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions
kg
Kilogramme
km
Kilometer
KPGO
National Waste Management Plan (Krajowy Plan Gospodarki Odpadami)
LGU
Local government unit
m
Meter, Million
m2
Square meter
m
Cubic meter
MBT
Mechanical biological treatment of waste
ME
Ministry of Economy
MEnv
Ministry of Environment
Mg
Ton
MJ
Megajoule
MRD
Ministry of Regional Development
MWDP
Municipal Waste Disposal Plant
MWh
Megawatthour
N.d.
No data
n/a
Not applicable
NFEPWM
National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management
NIMBY
„not in my back yard”
NPV
net present value
O&M
operation and maintenance
Operator
Entity responsible for operation of the installation
3
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 93
Abbreviation
Full name
pc
Piece
PJ
Petajoule
PLN, zł
Zloty, official currency in Poland
POIiŚ
Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment (Program Operacyjny Infrastruktura i Środowisko)
PPP
Public-Private Partnership
PWMP
Provincial Waste Management Plan
TFEU
Treaty on Functioning of the European Union
Th.
Thousand
TJ
Terajoule
TMWTP
Thermal Municipal Waste Treatment Plant
TSMWTP
Thermal Solid Municipal Waste Treatment Plant
TWh
Terawatthour
URE
Energy Regulatory Office (Urząd Regulacji Energetyki)
WCP
Waste collection point
94
Glossary
Term
Definition
Biodegradation
Biologically stimulated decomposition caused by natural factors, reducing the level of environmental pollution, taking place under aerobic
conditions (aerobic digestion) or anaerobic conditions (methane fermentation)
Biowaste
Waste from gardens and parks, food and kitchen waste, waste from caterers, restaurants, retail premises and comparable waste from food
processing or food selling establishments
Disposable income
Part of income that household has for disposal, to use it for consumption, investment or savings.
Waste management
Collection, transport, recovery and treatment of waste, including also supervision over such activities and over places of waste treatment, as well
as activities involving acting as a dealer or broker of waste
Waste management also
Waste management in the above sense together with waste generation
Composting
Natural process of decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms, under controlled conditions in the presence of oxygen (air), in the
appropriate temperature and humidity
Installation
A stationary technical piece of equipment or a set of such pieces of equipment linked technologically
Waste storage
Temporary keeping or gathering of waste before its transport, recovery or treatment
Mechanical-biological
treatment of waste
Processes of comminution, screening, sorting, classification and separation of waste (usually unsorted municipal waste) into fractions that may
be used in full or in part as source of materials and/or energy and into the biodegradable fraction, appropriate for biological treatment under
aerobic or anaerobic conditions.
Best available technique, BAT
Most effective and advanced stage in the development of a technology and methods of carrying out a given type of activity, used as the basis
for emission limit values designed to prevent or eliminate or, where that is not practicable, generally to reduce emissions and their impact on the
environment as a whole in accordance with the Act – Environmental protection Law of 27 April 2001.
Waste processing
Physical, thermal, chemical or biological processes, including sorting, which change the properties of the waste to reduce its volume or
hazardous properties, which make it easier to handle or assist recovery
Waste
Any substance or object which the holder discards, intends to or is required to discard
Residual waste odpady
balastu
Waste remaining after subjecting municipal waste to recovery or treatment other than landfilling
Municipal waste
Waste generated in households and the waste that does not contain hazardous waste, generated elsewhere, which is similar to the waste
generated in households in its nature or composition
Municipal waste from the
municipal services sector
a) waste from municipal green areas and cemeteries maintenance, b) waste from curbside waste bins and from mechanical and manual street
and square cleaning
Medical waste
Waste generated in the course of providing health services and carrying out medical research and experiments
Hazardous waste from the
stream of municipal waste
Waste generated in households defined in the hazardous waste list, that is: solvents, acids, alkalines, photographic solutions, agrochemical waste
of the 1st and 2nd class of toxicity (very toxic, e.g. herbicides, insecticides), fluorescent tubes and other mercury-containing waste, equipment
containing chlorofluorocarbons, paints, fats, printing ink, adhesives, binders and resins containing dangerous substances, detergents containing
dangerous substances, cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines, batteries and accumulators, waste electric and electronic equipment containing
dangerous components, wood containing dangerous substances
Inert waste
Waste which does not undergo any significant physical, chemical or biological transformations; it does not dissolve, burn or otherwise physically
or chemically react, biodegrade or adversely affect other matter with which it comes into contact in a way likely to give rise to environmental
pollution or harm to human health; its total leachability and pollutant content and the ecotoxicity of its leachate are insignificant and, in
particular, do not endanger the quality of any surface water or groundwater
Packaging waste
Under Art. 3 paragraph 3 of the Act on packaging and packaging waste (Journal of Laws of 2001 No. 63, item 638 as amended), packaging
waste means all packaging, including reusable packaging withdrawn from use, constituting waste within the meaning of the Act on waste,
excluding packaging production residues
Biodegradable waste
Waste that may be degraded by microorganisms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions
Waste from cleaning streets
or squares
Waste from cleaning streets or squares and from emptying curbside waste bins
Bulky waste
Waste which cannot be collected as part of the normal municipal waste collection system because of its size, including waste electric and
electronic equipment
Household waste
Waste including waste from households and the so called “infrastructure objects” (commerce, services, crafts, education, industry in the part
related to staff facilities, other), including unsorted municipal waste and separately collected waste and bulky waste as well as waste electric and
electronic equipment
Green waste
Grass, leaves, withered flowers and branches from maintenance of lawns, home gardens, allotments, recreational areas, parks cemeteries,
roadside trees, etc.
Waste recovery
Activities that do not pose a threat to human life or health or to the environment, consisting in using the waste in full or in part or leading to
recovery and use of substances, materials or energy from waste
Energy recovery
Thermal treatment of waste with the purpose of recovering energy
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 95
Term
Definition
Re-use
Action consisting in using products or their parts which are not waste again for the same purpose which they originally served
Waste holder
Anyone who is actually in possession of the waste (waste producer, another natural person, legal person or organisational unit). It is understood
that the holder of the ground surface area is the holder of the waste on the property
Waste broker
Anyone who arranges the recovery or disposal of waste on behalf of others, including such entity that does not take physical possession of the
waste
Entrepreneur
Natural person, legal person or organisational unit which is not a legal person but which is granted legal capacity under a separate act, carrying
out business activity on its own behalf
Processing
Processes of recovery or treatment of waste, including pre-processing prior to recovery or treatment
Preparing for re-use
Checking, cleaning or repairing recovery operations, by which products or components of products that have become waste are prepared so
that they can be re-used without any other pre-processing
Waste recycling
Any recovery operation by which substances or materials are reprocessed into materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes,
including organic recycling except for energy recovery
określony w wojewódzkim planie gospodarki odpadami obszar liczący co najmniej 150 000 mieszkańców; regionem gospodarki odpadami
komunalnymi może być gmina licząca powyżej 500 000 mieszkańców
Waste management region
An area defined in the provincial waste management plan, with the population of at least 150 000; a waste management region may also be
a municipality with the population over 500 000
Regional municipal waste
treatment installation
A waste disposal plant with processing capacity sufficient for accepting and treatment of waste from the area inhabited by at least 120
thousand people, fulfilling the requirement of the best available technique (BAT), referred to in Art. 143 of the Act dated 27 April 2001 – the
Law on environmental protection, ensuring thermal treatment of waste; or a) mechanical-biological treatment of unsorted municipal waste and
separating from such waste the fractions that can be recovered partially or in full; b) separate treatment of the collected green waste and other
bio-waste and converting it into products of fertiliser properties or products for enhancing plant production; c) landfill of waste produced in the
process of mechanical-biological treatment of unsorted municipal waste and the residue from municipal waste sorting with the capacity enabling
acceptance of waste for not shorter than 15 years in the amount not smaller than that generated in the installation for mechanical-biological
treatment of unsorted municipal waste
Separate collection of waste
Collection in which a given stream of waste includes only certain types of waste with the same properties and the same nature in order to
facilitate the treatment of waste
Landfill site
A building object designated for depositing waste
Waste incineration plant
A plant or a part of a plant for thermal treatment of waste with or without recovery of the generated heat, including installations and equipment
used for the process of thermal treatment of waste together with flue gas cleaning and emission into the atmosphere, with monitoring and
control of the processes and with installations for receiving, pre-processing and storing of waste delivered for thermal treatment and with
installations for storing and processing of substances produced as a result of the incineration and flue gas cleaning
Thermal treatment of waste
a) combustion of waste through its oxidation; b) other processes of thermal waste treatment, including pyrolysis, gasification, plasma waste
processing, provided that the substances produced during these thermal waste treatment processes are then incinerated
Waste treatment
Process other than recovery, even if a secondary effect of such a process is recovery of substances or energy
Property owner
Includes co-owner, perpetual usufructor as well as an organisational unit and person holding real property in administration or use as well as
other entities holding real property
Waste producer
Any person whose activity or existence results in the production of waste (primary waste producer) and any person who carries out the initial
processing, mixing or any other activities causing a change in character or composition of this waste
Preventing waste generation
Measures taken in respect of a product, material or substance, before they become waste, reducing: a) the volume of waste, also by re-use or
extending the product life, b) negative impact of generated waste on the environment and human health or c) content of harmful substances in
the product and in the material
Waste collection
Any action, including but not limited to, placing in containers, sorting and storing of waste which aims at preparing the waste for transport to
the recovery or treatment sites
Union of municipalities
Specific corporation under public law formed by municipalities self-governments on the basis of the provisions of the Act on municipal selfgovernment dated 8 March 1990, by way of agreements subsequently approved by the municipalities’ councils, for the purpose of jointly
carrying out public tasks
96
List of selected waste management legislation
Short name
Full name with place of publication
DIRECTIVES
Directive on waste
(Framework Directive)
Directive 2008/98/EC, of the European Parliament and the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing
certain Directives (Official Journal L312 of 22.11.2008)
Directive on landfill of waste (Landfill Directive)
Directive 99/31/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (Official
Journal L 182 of 16.07.1999)
Directive on waste incineration
Directive 2000/76/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 4 December 2000 in the incineration of waste
(Official Journal L332 of 28.12.2000, pp. 91-111)
Directive on packaging and packaging waste
(Packaging Directive)
Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste (Official Journal L 365 of 31.12.1994, pp. 10-23, amended by
Directives 1882/2003/EC, 2004/12/EC, 2005/20/EC)
LEGAL ACT
Act Environmental Protection Law
Act dated 27 April 2001 Environmental Protection Law (Journal of Laws of 2008, No. 25, item 150 as amended)
Act on providing information on the environment and
its protection
Act dated 3 October 2008 on providing information on the environment and its protection, on participation of the
public in the protection of the environment and on environmental impact assessments (Journal of Laws of 2008, No.
199, item 1227)
Act on municipal self-government
Act dated 8 March 1990 on municipal self-government (Journal of Laws of 2001 No. 142, item 1591 as amended.)
Act on municipal services
Act dated 20 December 1996 on municipal services management (Journal of Laws of 1997, No. 9, item 43, as
amended.)
Act on waste
Act dated 27 April 2001 o odpadach (Journal of Laws of 2010 No. 185, item 1243 and No. 203, item 1351 and of
2011 No. 106, item 622 and No. 117, item 678)
Planned amendment of the Act in 2011(Draft Act on waste dated 5 July 2011sent to the Permanent Committee of
the Council of Ministers)
Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in
municipalities
Act dated 13 September 1996 on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities (uniform text Journal of Laws of
2005 No. 236, item 2008 as amended.)
Act dated 1 July 2011 on amending the Act on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities and certain other
acts.
Act on packaging and packaging waste
Act dated 11 May 2001 on packaging and packaging waste (Journal of Laws of 2001, No. 63, item 638 as amended.)
Act on obligations of entrepreneurs with respect to
management of certain waste and on product fee
Act dated 11 May 2001 on obligations of entrepreneurs with respect to management of certain waste and on
product fee (Journal of Laws of 2007 No. 90, item 607, as amended.)
It is planned that a new act will be passed in 2011, covering all the issues related to packaging management,
governed so far by the acts mentioned above (Draft Act in packaging and packaging waste management dated 27
May 2011 sent for public consultations)
Act on international movement of waste
Act dated 29 June 2007 on international movement of waste (Journal of Laws of 2007, No. 124, item 859)
Act on waste electric and electronic equipment
Act dated 29 July 2005 on waste electric and electronic equipment (uniform text Journal of Laws of 2005, No. 180,
item 1495, as amended.)
Act on batteries and accumulators
Act dated 24 April 2009 on batteries and accumulators (Journal of Laws of 2009 No. 79, item 666 as amended.).
Act on product fee
Act dated 11 May 2001 on obligations of entrepreneurs with respect to management of certain waste and on
product fee and on deposit charge (uniform text Journal of Laws of 2007, No. 90, item 607)
Act on protection of competition and consumers
Act dated 16 February 2007 on protection of competition and consumers (Journal of Laws z 2007, No. 50, item 331
as amended.)
Act Public Procurement Law or PZP Act
Act dated 29 January 2004 Public Procurement Law (Journal of Laws of 2010 No. 113, item 759, as amended.)
Act on public-private partnership or PPP Act
Act dated 19 December 2008 on public-private partnership (Journal of Laws of 2009 No. 19, item 100 and of 2010
No. 106, item 675)
Act on licenses for construction works or services or Act
on licenses
Act dated 09 January 2009 on licenses for construction works or services (Journal of Laws of 2009, Nr 19, item 101
as amended.)
Act Energy Law
Act dated 10 April 1997 Energy Law (uniform text Journal of Laws of 2006, No. 89, item 625 as amended.)
Act on public finance
Act dated 30 June 2005 on public finance (Journal of Laws of 2005 No. 249 as amended.)
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 97
Report preparation
Jarosław Dąbrowski
Director
Financial Advisory
Deloitte Poland
Łukasz Beresiński
Manager
Financial Advisory
Deloitte Poland
Halina Frańczak
Director
Marketing and PR Department
Deloitte Poland
Piotr Górnik
Director of Production and Distribution
Fortum Power and Heat Poland
Peter Liebscher
Expert in thermal waste treatment
Fortum Corporation
Per Nylund
Promotion & Business Development Manager
Fortum Corporation
Barbara Frątczak-Rudnicka
Research Consultant
4P research mix
98
Assistance on content related to legal, tax,
corporate social responsibility and sustainable
development issues
Arkadiusz Szulepa
Managing Associate, legal advisor
Deloitte Legal, Pasternak i Wspólnicy Kancelaria
Prawnicza sp.k.
Łukasz Rutkowski
Senior Associate
Deloitte Legal, Pasternak i Wspólnicy Kancelaria
Prawnicza sp.k.
Ewa Grzejszczyk
Senior Manager
Deloitte Doradztwo Podatkowe
Deloitte Poland
Tomasz Siek
Manager
Deloitte Doradztwo Podatkowe
Deloitte Poland
Jacek Kuchenbeker
Manager
Risk Management Department
Deloitte Poland
Sources
1.
Eurostat, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/
2.
Główny Urząd Statystyczny [Central Statistical Office], http://www.stat.gov.pl/
3.
Krajowy Plan Gospodarki Odpadami 2014, Warszawa 2010, Schedule to Resolution No. 217 of the Council of Ministers dated 24 December 2010 (KPGO 2014)
4.
Krajowy Plan Gospodarki Odpadami 2010, Warszawa 2006, Schedule to Resolution No. 233 of the Council of Ministers dated 29 December 2006 (KPGO 2010)
5.
Wojewódzkie Plany Gospodarki Odpadami (WPGO, in force as on 31 May 2011):
No.
Voivoidship
Date of adoption
Planning period
1
Dolnośląskie
30 April 2009
2008-2011 / 2012-2015
2
Kujawsko-Pomorskie
03 July 2008
2008-2010 / 2011-2014
3
Lubelskie
27 October 2008
2008-2011 / 2012-2015
4
Lubuskie
30 March 2010
2009-2012 / 2013-2020
5
Łódzkie
31 March 2008
2008-2011 / 2012-2015
6
Małopolskie
24 September 2007
2007-2014
2007-2011 / 2012-2015
7
Mazowieckie
15 October 2007
8
Opolskie
31 March 2008
2007-2010 / 2011-2014
9
Podkarpackie
26 May 2008
2008-2011 / 2012-2019
10
Podlaskie
28 December 2009
2009-2012 / 2013-2020
2007-2010 / 2011-2014
11
Pomorskie
26 October 2009
12
Śląskie
29 April 2009
2009-2010 / 2011-2018
13
Świętokrzyskie
20 September 2007
2007-2011
14
Warmińsko-Mazurskie
26 June 2007
2007-2010 / 2011-2014
15
Wielkopolskie
31 March 2008
2008-2011 / 2012-2019
16
Zachodniopomorskie
16 June 2009
2009-2012 / 2013-2018
6.
Europe 2020 Strategy, European Commission, 3 March 2010.
7.
Krajowy Program Reform na rzecz realizacji strategii „Europa 2020”, Council of Ministers, 26 April 2011
8.
Główny Inspektorat Ochrony Środowiska [Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection], http://www.gios.gov.pl/
9.
Krajowa Izba Gospodarki Odpadami [National Chamber of Waste Management], http://www.kigo.pl/
10. Polska Izba Gospodarki Odpadami [Polish Chamber of Waste Management, http://www.pigo.org.pl/
11. Informacja o wynikach kontroli gospodarowania w gminach wybranych województw stałymi odpadami komunalnymi, w tym zwłaszcza ulegającymi biodegradacji,
Najwyższa Izba Kontroli [Supreme Audit Office] , Katowice April 2010.
12. Ewaluacja Gospodarki Odpadami Komunalnymi w Polsce, Instytut Gospodarki Surowcami Mineralnymi i Energią Polskiej Akademii Nauk [Mineral and Energy Economy
Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences], study by a team of authors, edited by Joanna Kulczycka, PhD and Elżbieta Pierzyk-Sokulska, PhD, Eng Kraków 2009.
13. Gospodarka odpadami komunalnymi w województwie Mazowieckim w latach 2007-2009, WIOŚ [Provincial Inspectorate of Environmental Protection] in Warsaw, 2010.
14. Communication from the Commission SEC(2005) 1658, Application of Article 228 of the EC Treaty. Communication from the Commission SEC(2010) 923/3, Application of
Article 260 of the TFEU. Communication from the Commission SEC(2010) 1371, Application of Article 260 (3) of the TFUE.
15. List of individual projects for the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2007-2013, Ministry of Regional Development, updated August 2011.
16. Wytyczne dotyczące rozliczenia obowiązku w zakresie ograniczenia ilości składowanych odpadów komunalnych ulegających biodegradacji, Ministry of Environment, Waste
Mangement Department, Warsaw, December 2008.
17. Wytyczne dotyczące wymagań dla procesów kompostowania, fermentacji i mechaniczno-biologicznego przetwarzania odpadów, Ministry of Environment, Waste
Mangement Department, Warsaw, December 2008.
18. Guide to Cost Benefit Analysis for Investment Projects prepared by Directorate General Regional Policy dated 16 June 2008.
19. Wytyczne w zakresie reguł dofinansowania z programów operacyjnych podmiotów realizujących obowiązek świadczenia usług publicznych w ramach zadań własnych
jednostek samorządu terytorialnego w gospodarce odpadami, prepared by Ministry of Regional Development dated 2 March 2010.
20. Wytyczne w zakresie wybranych zagadnień związanych z przygotowaniem projektów inwestycyjnych, w tym projektów generujących dochód, prepared by Ministry of
Regional Development dated 15 January 2009.
Waste management in Poland Challenges in view of EU requirements and legislative changes, public opinion and prospects 99
21. Guidelines for preparation of environmental investment projects co-financed from Cohesion Fund and European Regional Development Fund in the years 2007-2013
prepared by Jaspers.
22. Obwieszczenia Ministra Środowiska w sprawie wysokości opłat za korzystanie ze środowiska [Annoucements of the Minister of Environment on fees for using the
environment] (including 2011 fees, dated 4 October 2010, Monitor Polski [Official Gazette] No. 74 Item 945)
23. Draft Regulation of the Council of Ministers on fee for depositing waste on landfill sites dated 4 February 2011.
24. Współspalanie paliw alternatywnych w przemyśle cementowym – zrównoważony rozwój i Paliwo alternatywne na bazie sortowanych odpadów komunalnych dla
przemysłu cementowego, Publikacje Stowarzyszenia Producentów Cementu, http://www.polskicement.pl/
25. Tadeusz Pająk, Droga do gospodarki odpadami zgodnej z wytycznymi UE – pokazana na przykładzie projektów spalarni w Polsce, in: Karl J. Thome-Kozmiensky, Luciano
Pelloni, Waste Management. Volume 1. East European Countries, TK Verlag Karl Thome-Kozmiensky, 2010
26. Luciano Pelloni, Realizacja projektów w dziedzinie gospodarki odpadami: Pierwsze kroki, in: Karl J. Thome-Kozmiensky, Luciano Pelloni, Waste Management. Volume 1. East
European Countries, TK Verlag Karl Thome-Kozmiensky, 2010
27. Marek Gębski, Gunther Neumann, Urszula Krygowska, Wymoga dyrektywy europejskiej w sprawie składowania odpadów – wdrożenie w wybranych krajach na przykładzie
Polski, in: Karl J. Thome-Kozmiensky, Luciano Pelloni, Waste Management. Volume 1. East European Countries, TK Verlag Karl Thome-Kozmiensky, 2010
28. Andreas Beyer, Trudności na drodze do realizacji instalacji termicznego przekształcania odpadów w Polsce, in: Karl J. Thome-Kozmiensky, Luciano Pelloni, Waste
Management. Volume 1. East European Countries, TK Verlag Karl Thome-Kozmiensky, 2010
29. Wolfgang Melon, Potencjalne modele finansowania zakładów termicznego unieszkodliwiania odpadów w Polsce, in: Karl J. Thome-Kozmiensky, Luciano Pelloni, Waste
Management. Volume 1. East European Countries, TK Verlag Karl Thome-Kozmiensky, 2010
30. Krzysztof Siwek, Director of the Department for Individual Projects Preparation, Ministry of Regional Development, Fundusze Europejskie w spalarniowych projektach PPP, 4
November 2010.
31. PPP and Waste Management in Practice, The City of Sztokholm and Fortum Experience, Thermal waste treatment – from plans to implementation, Szczecin, 19 October
2009
32. Swedish Waste Management 2010, Avfall Sverige
33. Łukasz Piekarski, Maciej Czarnecki, Wydział Partnerstwa Publiczno-Prywatnego, Departament Przygotowania Projektów Indywidualnych Ministerstwa Rozwoju Regionalnego,
Osiągnąć więcej wydając mniej – projekty hybrydowe w praktyce, Forum PPP - magazyn inwestycji publicznych,No. 1 (14) / 2011
34. Interview with Prof. Andrzej Kraszewski, Minister of Environment, Forum PPP - magazyn inwestycji publicznych, No. 4 (13) / 2010
35. Marcin Bejm, Weronika Tokaj, Kluczowe Wymogi Prawa Unijnego dotyczące prowadzenia gospodarki odpadami, Forum PPP - magazyn inwestycji publicznych, No. 4 (13) /
2010
36. Marcin Bejm, Paulina Biłda, Bolączki Obecnego Systemu Gospodarowania Odpadami, Forum PPP - magazyn inwestycji publicznych, No. 4 (13) / 2010
37. Bartosz Korbuz, PPP a fundusze UE w inwestycjach z zakresu gospodarki odpadami, Forum PPP - magazyn inwestycji publicznych, No. 4 (13) / 2010
38. Danuta Król, Recykling energetyczny odpadów komunalnych, presentation of 7 June 2011
39. B. Sajnaj, System gospodarki odpadami dla Miasta Poznania. Koncepcja realizacji projektu w formule PPP, 16 June 2011.
40. Jacek Sobański, W Warszawie o paliwie niefunkcjonującym w percepcji społeczeństwa, Nowa Energia, No. 2 (20) / 2011
41. Jerzy Majcher, Odpady, odpady, odpady – kłopot, czy dobry interes?, Nowa Energia, No. 2 (20) / 2011
42. Thomas Norman, Więcej energii elektrycznej z odpadów, Nowa Energia, No. 2 (20) / 2011
43. Inwestycje TPOK – jak budować akceptację społeczną, Nowa Energia, No. 2 (20) / 2011
44. Stephen Goldsmith, William D Eggers, Governing by Network, The New Shape of the Public Sector, Brooklings Institution Press, Wahsington, D.C., 2005
45. Raport o korkach w 7 największych miastach Polski [Report on traffic congestion in the 7 biggest cities in Poland], Deloitte, Targeo, January 2011.
100
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