Many people in Hungary heat with solid fuel – often with outdated combustion equipment, hazardous fuel sources, and faulty combustion methods. At best, heating is done with dry wood, which also pollutes the air, but to a much lesser extent than when wet wood, the burning of which is also widespread. Coal (usually lignite, which is highly polluting when burned) and waste are also commonly used. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of how to reduce their emissions even with their existing options. Proper heating is a relatively easy energy-saving action, which in turn can often save a significant amount of money.

The most dangerous of all of these actions is waste burning. Many people burn broken window frames, bales of cloth, plastic, and other waste, resulting in large amounts of deadly poisons being released into the air. The latter is also an illegal activity that may be fined up to HUF 300,000 on each occasion, in more severe cases it may even lead to criminal proceedings (Section 248 of the Criminal Code).

According to a 2017 national representative survey, 30 percent of illegal burning solely originated from a lack of knowledge, and “only” 15 percent are due to poverty alone. All this means that air pollution from illegal burning can be significantly reduced by raising awareness.

When green NGOs advocate the reduction of low-quality residential waste incineration, this is primarily in the interest of impoverished people, because they are facing the most immediate danger. Forty percent of the poorest Hungarian households heat exclusively with solid fuel. Waste burned in obsolete stoves or fuels causing huge air pollution also pollute inside the homes, in some cases putting residents at immediate risk of death. Moreover, ambient air pollution is responsible for the premature death of more than 13,000 people in Hungary every year.

A survey commissioned by the NGO Habitat for Humanity shows that it is almost impossible to get out of the vicious circle of energy poverty without help. Therefore, this issue needs to be communicated to all institutions that can take part in remedying the problem. According to a common definition, energy poverty means that a household spends a large share of its total income (up to 35 percent) on housing expenditure. These people live in the most ill-conditioned flats (one-fifth of the Hungarian population), hence it is even more expensive to heat their living space, so they have even less money to upgrade their heating systems. The poorest residents spend most of their days collecting fuel or earning enough money to barely get by. To put it very simply, it is a vicious cycle of energy or housing poverty. Many social NGOs want to change this. To reiterate, green NGOs fully agree on a healthy approach to living conditions.

However, poverty cannot be a reason to break the law either. The whole society may be damaged if their observance and enforcement do not work. To use a simple example: poverty does not entitle anyone to steal with impunity. In the same way, poverty is not an acceptable reason for someone to commit pollution that will make it impossible for their neighbors to live the full value of life. The streets and the air in the town will be unhealthy, and tens of thousands of people will suffer from severe health problems. Naturally, the first thing to do is to warn the person who illegally burns waste about the harmful and unlawful nature of the activity and to offer help if necessary. However, if these actions do not provide the necessary results, then stricter official action is inevitable.

Although the problem has been brought to the government’s attention countless times by the Clean Air Action Group and other organizations, no substantive action has been taken. Despite the government's failure to take action, curbing illegal burning of waste would cost two orders of magnitude less than the damage caused by such burnings. At the same time, the municipalities can also do a lot regardless of government.

The local government should carry out awareness-raising campaigns to educate the public of the dangers of improper combustion while informing about the correct heating methods, energy efficiency measures, and efficient energy-saving procedures at low cost. They can disseminate information on their website, in the local social media, television, radio, and billboards. Politicians such as the local mayor can personally motivate the public by organizing events on this topic or using behavioral change marketing, such as posters, at themed events. People could also find help and information on the Clean Air Group’s website and the relevant government website.

Awareness-raising can be greatly facilitated if the population is equipped with an affordable air quality measuring device and the local government would play a role in this by providing local institutions (such as kindergartens) with such devices. An example of this is Budapest’s 11th and 18th district where this has already been done. These devices measure the amount of particulate matter in the PM2.5 and PM10 range and can be used to monitor the changes of air quality in the district, even from street to street.

The municipality can organize training for its employees or members of other bodies (such as the police) and organizations. The Clean Air Action Group can provide help with this, and people can also use the video created by us.

The municipality should also provide financial support (in cash or donations, such as dry firewood) to the residents who suffer from poverty. If the local government does not have the resources for this, it can initiate and encourage community funding. According to the experience of the Clean Air Action Group, residents are willing to provide such support, even so, because it is about their health and the health of their family. Furthermore, the value of their real estate can increase due to sustainable solutions. Although one of the most important measures would be improving the energy efficiency of buildings, this is the costliest intervention. However, the local government in a difficult financial situation can also draw the residents’ attention to the available opportunities to receive grants or low interest loans.

In case of suspicion of illegal burning, the municipality should mobilize its organs (such as the public space inspectorate) and encourage non-governmental organizations to take action. Although all they are not competent to take official action, in our experience, they can play a significant role in informing those who are concerned, helping to solve the problem, and signaling cases to the competent authority.

The municipality can cooperate with the police to seek their help against illegal burning, as they can enter the property and write a legal notice, which they can forward to the competent authority.

It is advisable to start a free green number, where the population can report occurrences of high air pollution. So, if someone reports, the staff of the public area inspectorate and/or the police will immediately go to the scene, document the case, and forward it to the official authority.

The local government with the help of public space inspectors, local civil society organisations and the inhabitants can constantly monitor which houses are accumulating combustible waste and must take measures to remove these waste piles.

The municipality may instruct one of its employees or even ask a local NGO to search one or two hours a week the Internet for advertisements offering waste for burning. In case of finding such an advertisement in the vicinity r around the, the advertiser should be called to terminate the infringement immediately and if this is not successful, the police should be notified.

It is also important to take measures against the burning of garden waste. This is even more appropriate to do because experience has shown that during outdoor burning other waste is often burned in addition to green waste. Also, green plant residues are useful because if left on the soil surface or composted in a composting vessel and then spread out, they improve soil fertility.

Judit Szegő
Environmental researcher
Clean Air Action Group