City in danger: Garbage could pile up for weeks due to MOHU’s decision

The Szolnok waste management problem created an unexpected and severe situation in the city in mid-August. On August 17, Mihály Györfi, the Mayor of Szolnok, announced that accumulated garbage could remain in and around the bins for days, or in the worst case, even weeks. Behind the crisis is the decision of MOHU MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási Zrt. to abruptly redirect the region’s waste from the previously used Kétpó landfill to the facility in Cegléd. While MOHU claims the move is purely professionally based, the mayor has cited political revenge.

The root of the Szolnok waste management problem

The basis of the conflict is a sudden logistical and strategic modification. According to Mayor Mihály Györfi, MOHU MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási Zrt., as the national concession company, made an arbitrary decision to alter the route of waste from Szolnok and its region. Instead of the well-functioning Kétpó landfill, the garbage will now go to the Cegléd site. The mayor objected that the city administration did not receive meaningful and timely prior notification of this step. In his view, MOHU should have notified the municipality of the redirection at least 60 days in advance; instead, the decision was made just days before implementation, on Thursday of the previous week. This procedure significantly deepened the impacts of the Szolnok waste management problem.

Quantitative data and immediate disruptions

According to the decision, from August 17 until the end of the year, approximately 10,000 tons of mixed municipal waste collected in Szolnok and its region must be transported to the Cegléd landfill instead of the usual Kétpó site. According to the mayor’s report, the Cegléd facility was not prepared to suddenly receive such a large additional volume, resulting in Szolnok’s garbage trucks being forced to stand idle on Monday. According to the city leader, NHSZ employees are doing everything possible to minimize the impact on the population, but they did not cause the current situation.

Public health risks in the summer heat

Ensuring continuous waste collection is not only a matter of convenience but a fundamental health issue. Mihály Györfi strongly emphasized that failing to collect waste during the current summer heatwave poses a direct public health and epidemiological risk to the residents of Szolnok and the region. The mayor called on Zsolt Hernádi and the concession company to immediately withdraw the instruction and also requested the government’s intervention on behalf of the thousands of affected residents. In his statement, he phrased it as follows: “We will not allow the failed NER to paralyze Szolnok’s waste collection out of revenge!”

MOHU’s reaction: A professionally based decision

In its official response to the incident, MOHU MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási Zrt. firmly rejected the politically motivated accusations. According to the company’s statement, the operation of the waste management system must be organized exclusively on professional and national criteria, not on local politics. They maintain that the redirection was carried out in accordance with all existing contracts with partners, and the change simply implemented process optimization based on legal obligations. The company emphasized that both the Kétpó and Cegléd plants are important facilities, and all capacities and conditions for waste treatment are available. According to MOHU, waste collection is currently the obligation and responsibility of the local waste management company, which is majority-owned by the municipality.

FAQ

What is the root cause of the Szolnok waste management problem?

An instruction by MOHU MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási Zrt., which abruptly redirected 10,000 tons of waste from the well-functioning Kétpó landfill to the Cegléd site, just days before implementation.

What are the dangers of the current situation in Szolnok?

Due to the sudden redirection, garbage trucks are standing idle, meaning waste could remain on the streets for days or weeks. In the summer heat, this poses a severe public health and epidemiological risk.

How did MOHU respond to the mayor’s accusations?

MOHU rejected the political accusations. According to their statement, the decision is purely based on professional and national criteria, in accordance with contracts, aiming for process optimization.

Source: mti