Garbage Revolution Blocked at the Last Minute? Lawyers and Experts Ready for Defense

Twenty-four last-minute appeals submitted to the National Appeals Chamber threaten Wrocław’s massive waste management tender, prompting the municipal company Ekosystem to pledge a robust legal defense.

Record Number of Appeals to the National Appeals Chamber

As many as 24 appeals were submitted at the last minute to the National Appeals Chamber regarding the giant waste collection tender in Wrocław, amounting to nearly 2 billion PLN. The local company Ekosystem assesses these actions as an attempt to deliberately and legally block the procedure and announces a decisive defense of the proceedings before the KIO, while assuring residents that garbage collection from housing estates remains safe.

The National Appeals Chamber received 24 appeals against the tender specification concerning the waste collection tender for the Wrocław area, reported the municipal company Ekosystem. Its employees recognized this as attempts to legally block this procedure and intend to defend the announced proceedings.

As the Ekosystem company reported in a statement, just before the statutory deadline for submitting appeals against the specification of the proceedings, 24 such letters were submitted to the National Appeals Chamber. Company employees ensured that the extended procedure in no way threatens the stability of the waste collection system from Wrocław housing estates.

Months of Disputes and KIO Dismissal

The tender for municipal waste collection in Wrocław has remained unresolved since March of last year, and since July 2025, the contractor for this service has been selected via a single-source procurement procedure. Following many months of disputes between the municipality and companies vying for the waste removal contract in Wrocław, the National Appeals Chamber dismissed the proceedings in May, which had previously prevented the announcement of new tenders. Consequently, the municipal company announced tenders for waste collection on July 27.

Ekosystem President Announces Firm Defense of City Interests

The submitted appeals from companies interested in waste collection in the Wrocław area will prolong this procedure. “This is an evident attempt to drag out the entire procedure. We will not succumb to this pressure. Our lawyers and experts are fully prepared to substantively and effectively defend the interests of the city and the residents of Wrocław before the KIO,” announced Ekosystem company CEO Michał Młyńczak.

He added that the company had previously appealed to industry representatives for business responsibility and striving for the quickest possible resolution of the tender, because efficient garbage removal lies in the interest of all residents. However, he admitted that public procurement law imposes rigorous procedures, which is why the company must act with full diligence regarding their compliance.

Contract Valued at 2 Billion PLN and Division into 6 Sectors

The value of the contracts that Ekosystem wants to sign with contractors in the announced tender amounts to approximately 2 billion PLN. The procedure provides for six separate proceedings because Wrocław is divided into six sectors from which waste is collected. Contracts with the tender winners are to be signed for four years.

At the beginning of July, the Wrocław City Council adopted a resolution introducing a fee increase for waste disposal effective September 1. The rate for segregated waste will amount to 55 PLN per person, which means an increase in fees by nearly 14 PLN. City authorities explained the changes as a necessity to financially balance the waste collection system. Currently, the fee for segregated waste removal is 41.24 PLN.

National Prosecutor’s Office Investigation and CBA Actions

In connection with the waste collection tenders, the Silesian Regional Division of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice has been conducting an investigation since January 15 regarding suspected abuse of power by municipal officials and employees of the municipal company.

As part of this investigation, Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) officers secured documents at, among others, the Ekosystem company, the Wrocław City Hall, the Śląsk Wrocław handball club, and in over a dozen other entities in Wrocław and Lower Silesia.