From the beginning of the year around 77 garbage heaps have been set alight. In some cases, black smoke has been visible from a distance of several kilometres. One question still remains unanswered: who is to blame for this ecological disaster? Were these fires spontaneous or arson attacks although it is hard to believe that they were all caused naturally. Garbage is great business with Polish refuse centres being paid €50 to process one ton of waste. If you multiply the amount of garbage that the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ) allowed in 2017, you get a figure of more than PLN 150 million. It is estimated that the illegal garbage business which aims to keep garbage in Poland is even worth PLN 1.5 billion. Waste in landfills should be recycled which involves huge costs. However, ‘spontaneous’ fires suddenly solve this problem, reducing costs and turning all income into profit. However, the detrimental consequences of these fires are effecting millions of Poles.
Newzar 