Interzero at the 8th European Congress of Local Governments in Mikołajki

Paweł Lesiak, Vice-President of the Management Board of Interzero, was a panellist during the 8th European Congress of Local Governments, which took place in Mikołajki on March 6-7, 2023. In an interview with him, “The future of waste management. How to maximize the effects?” They took part:

Bogusław Fijas – Mayor of the Ostróda commune,

Krzysztof Karolczyk – Manager for Project Development Fortum Power and Heat Polska

Bartosz Sierzęga – Director, Environmental Protection Agency

Szymon Sikorski – Proxy, University of Agriculture. Hugo Kołłątaj in Krakow

The panel was moderated by Jeremi Jędrzejkowski – Managing Editor, Republic of Poland

During the debate, issues related to the municipal waste management system were discussed, including the ever-increasing costs of waste segregation and the construction of waste incineration plants in cities. In the opinion of Interzero, ROP is not a comprehensive solution to problems related to waste management for local governments. Financing under the ROP of packaging waste will cover only about 30% of all waste generated in communes. A better solution is to involve commercial entities in cooperation. However, this requires more stable legal provisions that will enable the development of such cooperation.

The motto of this year’s meeting was “New solidarity for a new era” . The European Local Government Congress is a platform and a place for exchanging views with local government officials, national administration, non-governmental organizations and business representatives. As Interzero, we are happy to share our knowledge with people who have a real impact on the development of Polish waste management.