The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Municipal Waste Management System in Poland with an Example of Selected Communes

Abstract

When joining the European Union, Poland adopted the objectives of Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the storage of waste, at the same time declaring a reduction in the amount of waste deposited at landfills, among others, for recycling. However, despite numerous initiatives taken at the regional and national level, the environmental awareness of Poles is still low, and in addition, the growing costs of waste removal do not contribute to proper waste management. In the article, the authors present a comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the municipal waste management system in selected communes in Poland. Based on statistical data for 2020 for the communes of Częstochowa and Gorzkowice, the existing solutions aimed at minimising and proper waste management were analysed. The advantages and disadvantages of the system of incentives and fines introduced have been demonstrated, in particular with regard to the rates charged by communes for waste removal. The result of the analysis was to propose solutions aimed at improving the municipal waste management system in the analysed communes, and in particular at increasing the ecological awareness of residents, which will contribute to an increase in the level of recycling and recovery of waste collected selectively in the analysed communes.