The realization of the commune waste management plans - a step towards sustainable development (original) (raw)

2008, Grzesik K., The realization of the commune waste management plans - a step towards sustainable development. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. Vol 17, No. 3A, 2008

The act on waste of 2001, for the first time in Poland introduced the obligation to draw up waste management plans on national, regional (voivodship), county (poviat) and local (commune) level. This is particularly important element of legislation, because the basis was created for improvement the waste management, especially municipal waste, in systematic, uniform way and performed at the same time. The first commune waste management plans were drawn up in 2004. They had to meet the definite standards and to comply with higher level plans: voivodship and poviat plans, that means they had to set up the objectives laid down in superior plans. The waste management plan is not a single tool, waste planning is a continuous process. 2 years after plan adoption, the report on the realization of the plan should be prepared, every 4 years the plan should be updated. The communes were obliged to submit the reports on the realization of plans to the marshals’ offices till 30 March 2007. Based on those reports it is possible to evaluate the development in waste management, which occurred from 2004 till the end of 2006. After the review of waste management plans and reports on its realization for chosen communes in Malopolska region it is possible to conclude that the communes fulfilled the objectives partly. Easier tasks were legal actions: adopting a new statute of maintenance the cleanness and order in the commune, announcement of the new requirements for enterprises applying for permission for municipal waste removal, running the registry of contracts for waste removal. Communes also accomplished the obligation of public ecological education, which was done as leaflets and recycling competitions at schools. The difficult tasks were: ensuring the organized waste removal for 100% inhabitants, effective separate waste collection, ensuring the required levels of recovery and recycling for packaging, bio-degradable, constructing, bulky and hazardous waste. The task which was not fulfilled in most communes was organizing above-local waste management system, based on regional waste treatment facilities. Despite the fact that communes failed to fulfil some of the objectives, it could be stated that waste management has being continuously improved. The particularly important for the principles of the sustainable development is waste recycling and use of wastes instead of natural resources.