The energy crisis in Europe is pushing Polish citizens to burn garbage and Romania to limit the value of firewood while increasing demand for heating resources of choice.
Residents of a suburb on the outskirts of Warsaw told Bloomberg they can now smell the garbage being burned every day, while some cities notice less garbage being collected.
“We are seeing a significant drop in garbage collection, especially with regard to fabrics that, at least in theory, can be suitable for combustion, such as paper, cardboard and packaging,” the mayor of one city told Polish media.
The European Union banned Russian coal after Vladimir Putin launched his war against Ukraine, hitting coal-dependent Poland hard. It doesn’t have enough coal to get through the winter.
The burden of herbal fuel has also skyrocketed as Russia disconnects from Europe, with officials accusing Moscow of militarizing energy.
Meanwhile, the Romanian government has set a price cap for firewood of 400 lei ($80) per cubic meter and 2,000 lei per ton of wood pellets, according to Bloomberg.
In the past, Romania has capped fuel and electric power costs to help mitigate the surge that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. the war in Ukraine began.
Previous reports have indicated an increase in demand for firewood in Europe and even an increase in timber theft. Sources quoted by the Washington Post told the newspaper that “firewood is the new gold. “