Poland's Wild Dump Problem Persists Despite Deposit System and Photo Traps

Poland’s deposit (kauszyzny) system and nationwide photo‑trap network have failed to curb illegal waste dumping in forests and other green areas. In Szczecin forests, municipal forest manager Krzysztof Matuszak notes that dumped material – often renovation waste or garden debris – continues to accumulate, and the 2023 cleanup removed 75,000 m³ of waste at a cost of 30 million zł (about the price of 44 ambulances).

The government‑backed mObywatel mobile application, used by roughly 12 million citizens, lets anyone report “environmental violations”. Users submit photos and location data, which authorities say speeds up field actions. However, cases such as a resident of Kobyłka who reported a pile of discarded car parts illustrate that reported sites can remain uncleared for long periods.

Overall, removing illegal dumps costs millions of złoty each year, and while the app improves reporting, it has not yet solved the underlying problem of persistent wild dumping.