Interzero at the VIII European Congress of Local Authorities in Mikolajki

Paweł Lesiak, Vice President of the Management Board of Interzero, was a panellist at the 8th European Congress of Local Governments, held in Mikołajki on 6-7 March 2023. In a conversation with his participation, entitled 'The European Congress of Local Governments. "The future of waste management. How to maximise the effects?" attended:

Bogusław Fijas - Mayor of Ostróda Municipality,

Krzysztof Karolczyk - Project Development Manager Fortum Power and Heat Polska

Bartosz Sierżga - Director, Environmental Protection Agency

Szymon Sikorski - Plenipotentiary, Hugo Kołłątaj University of Agriculture in Kraków

The panel was moderated by Jeremi Jędrzejkowski - Managing Editor, Rzeczpospolita Polska

During the debate, issues related to the municipal waste management system were raised, including the ever-increasing cost of waste segregation and the emergence of waste incinerators in cities. In Interzero's view, the ROP is not a comprehensive solution to waste management problems for local authorities. ROP funding for packaging waste will only apply to approximately 30% of all waste generated in municipalities. A better option is to involve commercial actors in the cooperation. However, this requires more stable legislation to enable such cooperation to develop.

The theme of this year's meeting was "New solidarity for a new era". The European Local Government Congress is a platform and a place for the exchange of ideas with local government officials, national administrations, NGOs and business representatives. As Interzero, we are keen to share knowledge with those who have a real influence on the development of the Polish waste economy.