Malbork City Council have declared their most recent bulk waste pick-up a great success, after residents got rid of around 18 tonnes of unwanted household items.

The majority of this, 16 tonnes in total, had been simply set out in front of homes and apartment blocks to be collected by the Department of Public Utilities and Housing (ZGKiM) and taken to the Municipal Waste Collections Sorting Point (PSZOK) at ul. Generała de Gaulle'a. The collection consisted mainly of items of furniture (wardrobes, dressers etc.) and household appliances (washing machines, fridges etc.), while an additional 2 tonnes of electrical equipment were also disposed of.  

"This pick-up has been extremely popular because we have collected around 50% more items from residents than we did last time round,” says Wladyslaw Krawczyk, President of ZGKiM Malbork.

The response clearly demonstrates that the inhabitants of Malbork recognise the benefits of such a collection, most notably that of not having to haul heavy items down to the PSZOK with their own two hands!

However, Mr Krawczyk was also keen to point out that not everyone had complied with instructions. On more than one occasion, collection workers encountered non-qualifying items of industrial refuse and car parts.

"Such things are not household waste and are absolutely not covered by this collection,” he reminded.  

Although the law does not explicitly require such collections, more and more councils are choosing to organise them of their own volition. In Malbork, two are carried out each year, the next one scheduled for early spring 2015. In the meantime, though, anyone who wishes to dispose of furniture or household/electrical appliances can take them to the PSZOK in person.

PSZOK Malbork, ul. Generała de Gaulle'a, is open Mon-Fri 9-5pm and Sat 9-12am, and deals with the following items:

- paper & cardboard – e.g. newspapers, books, advertising literature, office wastepaper, packaging.
- plastic – e.g. empty drink bottles, tubs, cartons, bowls, buckets, pots, trays, PVC piping.
- glass – e.g. empty bottles, jars, kitchen glassware.
- composite packaging – e.g. empty drink/milk cartons.
- metal – e.g. empty drink cans, food tins, bottle/jar tops.
- used electric & electronic devices (in any condition),
- used batteries & chargers
- biodegradable waste – e.g. garden waste (leaves, grass, branches),
- bulk waste – e.g. furniture,
- building/renovation waste – e.g. bricks, concrete, plaster, ceramic fittings,
- wood,
- out of date chemicals (containing no hazardous substances) – e.g. paints, inks, glues, binders, detergents.

An article published on Nasze Miasto Malbork was used as the basis of this piece.