First photos and red cards, then penalties. No more mess around the local PSZOKs.

• The Association of Copper Basin Municipalities is tightening controls on waste segregation.
• While private property owners usually take care of tidiness around their own containers, the problem occurs at local PSZOKs.
• Last year, over 224 tonnes of waste found outside the containers and had to be cleaned up by the services.

The Association of Copper Basin Municipalities announced that inspections have begun to ensure proper segregation of municipal waste placed in containers . Employees of the waste collection company will be taking photos. Areas found to be in breach of separate waste collection obligations will be marked with red cards.

Our task is to enforce these regulations to ensure the efficient functioning of the waste management system. The Municipal Municipality and all local governments face the difficult challenge of achieving recycling targets, which is only possible through proper sorting. In 2024, we achieved the required level of 45%, but by 2025, we must achieve at least 55% recycling of municipal waste. This requires the involvement of all residents and proper waste management at source.

- ZGZM emphasizes.

As the Polkowice City Hall admits, the topic of waste collection and selective waste disposal resurfaces every few months. The local government has repeatedly published photos of local waste disposal centers in Polkowice, where piles of cardboard packaging and bags of food waste lay next to the containers. It also appealed for people to maintain order in shared spaces.

According to reports from Polkowicka Dolny Recycling and the Association of Copper Basin Municipalities, the amount of waste is increasing year by year. For example, in 2022, 308 tons of paper were collected, a year later it was 317 tons, and in 2024, 368 tons. Similar statistics apply to other fractions and total waste volumes.

We're simply buying more and more online, and we're facing a growing problem with used packaging. The average resident of the commune produced 433 kg of waste in 2022, and in 2024, this figure rose to approximately 474 kg. For comparison, the average Pole produced 377 kg of municipal waste in 2024.

- enumerates the Polkowice town hall.

While private property owners typically keep their own bins tidy, problems arise at residential waste collection points. Last year, over 224 tons of waste ended up outside the bins, requiring the authorities to clean them up, the office added.

There are 179 residential PSZOKs in the Polkowice commune, including 115 containers for mixed waste, 93 for organic waste, 249 containers for plastics and metals, 188 containers for paper, and 220 containers for glass. The Polkowice Recycling Valley, which collects waste on behalf of the Polkowice Municipal Waste Management Authority, is responsible for ensuring that the containers do not overflow.

"Residents should remember that organic and mixed waste should be disposed of in the containers assigned to their specific locations. However, selective waste can be placed in any container at a local waste collection point (PSZOK) within the entire Union of Municipalities," says Karolina Szymańska, head of the Waste Transport Department at PDR. "If you see that a given PSZOK is running out of space, please report the overflow. And don't leave used cardboard boxes or bottles under the container; instead, throw them in a container at another local waste collection point," she adds.

The Polkowice Recycling Valley serves ten municipalities within the Polkowice Municipal Municipality. In Polkowice, it is obligated to clear waste around the containers within 14 days of notification, and the entire town is cleaned twice a week.

"However, we often see a garbage truck clearing up the trash in the morning and then a new pile of waste in the evening. More frequent cleaning would be possible, but it's an additional cost that none of us wants to bear, because waste collection prices are already high. So, it's enough to just throw it in the bin instead of throwing it next to it," adds Karolina Szymańska.