Fees are going up from September. This is the result of a 130% increase in charges.

• From September 2025, new waste collection fees will come into effect in Świdnica.
• The local government explains that the decision to increase the fee is the result of the rising costs of operating the waste management system and the need to reduce subsidies from the city budget.
• In 2024, the city contributed PLN 3.9 million to the waste management system. In 2025, this amount will increase to PLN 10.4 million – a 130% increase.

Starting in September, new municipal waste management fees will be introduced in Świdnica. The monthly fee will be PLN 42 per person.

The local government explains that the decision to increase fees is a result of the rising costs of operating the waste management system and the need to reduce subsidies from the city budget, which have more than doubled in the last year. City officials emphasize that this is a difficult but necessary decision, dictated by factors beyond the local government's control.

The city council explains that the current rate – PLN 35 per person – has not been changed for 2.5 years. During this time, costs have increased significantly:

• waste transport;
• energy;
• salaries;
• waste management.

The office writes that the increases are affecting all municipalities in Poland, with Świdnica being no exception. For comparison, it calculates that residents of Dzierżoniów, Bielawa, Pieszyce, Niemcza, and Piława are currently paying PLN 48, Kłodzko PLN 46, and Jaworzyna Śląska PLN 45.

The new rate in Świdnica will therefore remain comparable to the fees in neighbouring municipalities and will still be significantly lower than the statutory maximum, which is PLN 63 per month per person.

- we read in the City Hall's announcement.

As Krystian Werecki, deputy mayor of Świdnica responsible for waste management, emphasizes, making this decision was difficult but necessary:

"We understand that any change in fees is a burden on residents, especially at a time of rising living costs. We only make such decisions when they are absolutely necessary and well-considered. However, we must react when external costs rise as rapidly as they have in recent years," says Krystian Werecki.

As it turns out, in 2024, the city paid PLN 3.9 million into the waste management system. In 2025, this amount will increase to PLN 10.4 million – an increase of 130%. "This is a significant burden, which limits the possibility of implementing other important investments, such as road repairs and sidewalk construction," adds Werecki.

The deputy mayor argues that the introduction of new rates will allow for: reducing subsidies from the city budget by PLN 1.6 million already in 2025 and reducing the deficit by PLN 4.9 million in 2026.

The city will continue to subsidize the system, but some of the funds from the city treasury will be released for investments that improve the daily comfort of residents.

According to regulations, the municipal waste management system should be balanced. The municipality cannot make money from it, but it also should not continually subsidize it from a budget intended for other purposes. However, we believe that fully shifting the costs to residents today would be too great a burden, so we have chosen an intermediate solution that will cover approximately 20% of this year's deficit.

- adds Krystian Werecki.