The so-called principle of self-financing was enacted by the Polish Sejm in 2011 and has been in force since 2012. What is more, in the years 2015-2021, said provision has not been amended in any way. Thus, the use of the phrase “the new law prohibits” by the Capital City of Warsaw is misleading the public. The Ministry of Climate and Environment calls upon the city to stop spreading fake news concerning this topic.

The basic language of this provision was a part of the Act of 1 July 2011. Its subsequent amendments detail the purposes, which can be funded using funds from the municipal waste management fees; however, the main idea of the regulation, namely that these funds should be earmarked for municipal waste management purposes, has not been changed. Furthermore, it was made clear that the funds could not be used for purposes unrelated to covering the costs of running the scheme.

A municipal waste management system organised by a municipality should be able to fund itself. In reality, this translates into an obligation to determine the fees paid by the residents of the municipality at a level that covers the cost of the system and its operations. A properly calculated municipal waste management fee should ensure efficient operation of the municipal waste collection and management system, but on the other hand, it should not constitute a source of additional income for the municipality. The system should not be subsidised from other municipal funds – this can be considered acceptable only in exceptional, temporary situations.