Garbage charges constant despite inflation: waste disposal company AWISTA with reserves of 2.5 million euros

Created: 09/12/2022 15:03

By: Tobias Gmach

The garbage fees in the district should not increase. © Jens Wolf/dpa

Waste fees will remain the same in 2023 "for more than 99 percent of the citizens" in the district of Starnberg.

The costs are too high because of the CO2 prices from 2024.

District – Unanimous vote, hardly any questions: The public meeting of the board of directors of the municipal company AWISTA lasted only a quarter of an hour on Thursday.

Nevertheless, there are interesting, even good, things to report.

Waste fees will remain the same in 2023 "for more than 99 percent of the citizens" in the district of Starnberg.

This was reported by Reinhard Pagel, deputy plant manager at the disposal company.

Pagel also said: "People will hardly notice at all that inflation has also reached AWISTA." The background: the company expects to have to pay its employees increasing standard wages.

But the sale of paper and metal, together with the previous fees, has brought him a lot of income.

AWISTA has 2.5 million euros left for the coming times when the costs will exceed the fees.

"Provisions for cost overruns" is the name of the item in official German for a municipal company that is not allowed to make a profit.

While the recycling prices for cardboard, waste paper, cardboard and metal had increased by 200 percent at times, they are currently falling again.

Because of the high reserves from the past few years, the vast majority of fees remain stable.

The very few self-deliverers will have to pay more for waste disposal in 2023

The very few self-deliverers who want to dispose of hazardous waste such as glass and rock wool (up 5.4 percent) or asbestos cement (up 12.7 percent) will have to pay more in 2023.

AWISTA justifies the increase because sales tax will be incurred for these services in the future.

In addition, the basic fees increase if the company sets up containers at events and collects them again - for smaller quantities from 27 to 47 euros, for larger ones from 37 to 67 euros.

Express emptying will also be slightly more expensive because the company responsible for this, Remondis Süd, has increased the fees, according to AWISTA.

Due to the uncertain price level in the energy crisis and inflation, the company also only calculates the next fees for another year.

In any case, they could increase from 2024, when CO2 pricing should apply to waste incineration.

After a comment by board member and FDP district councilor Wilhelm Boneberger, Pagel spoke of a “considerable burden.

Our costs could increase by 700,000 to 800,000 euros and would reach the millions in the following years".

gma