Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment announced funding for 2026 to remove illegally stored hazardous waste from nine municipalities.
New Funding for Hazardous Waste Removal
Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has announced a list of nine municipalities that will receive funds in 2026 to remove illegally stored hazardous waste. These include: Kutno, Gdańsk, Łaziska, Szczekociny, Koziegłowy, Piekary Śląskie, Sławków, and two locations in Sosnowiec. Work will also continue on previously started projects in Sosnowiec, Siemianowice Śląskie, and Mykanów.
Background and Challenges
This is another stage of funding for removing illegal hazardous waste storage sites. Some of these locations have been known for years, but municipalities often lacked funds for cleanup, which can involve multi-million costs exceeding the commune budget. When it wasn’t possible to enforce costs from the perpetrator, the responsibility fell on municipalities. In extreme cases, the issue only became national news after waste was burning and polluting the environment.
Legal and Financial Framework
Support for municipalities was facilitated by a law from November 22, 2024, which enabled state budget support of up to 99% of removal costs and eliminated the minimum 20% municipal contribution. A reserve in the budget for removing illegal waste exists only until 2027. From this targeted reserve in the state budget for 2025-2027, work in the announced locations will be financed. In 2025, 200 million złoty from the reserve was allocated to 10 municipalities.
NFOŚiGW Funding and Future Plans
Illegal waste will also be disposed of using funds from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), though it’s currently a less significant source. In 2025, 14 locations were selected to receive 100 million złoty in support from NFOŚiGW. Municipalities are waiting for contracts to be signed, with the minister expressing hope they would be finalized in the coming weeks. The ministry is monitoring whether there is room to “add funds” but faces challenges due to limited processing capacity of hazardous waste incinerators.
Government Priorities and Legislative Work
“Elimination of illegal hazardous waste storage sites” is among the government’s priorities for the second half of its term. The Ministry also declared work on a law to prevent the creation of illegal waste storage sites, which would enable tracking hazardous waste throughout the chain from production to permanent disposal and clarify obligations of hazardous waste producers. Work on this law continued in 2025, with the deputy minister stating they are now completing the regulatory impact assessment after conceptual work last year.
