A million zlotys fine for the plot owner for land without consent? The facts are brutal
There are suggestions in the media that you can receive a fine of up to PLN 1 million for storing soil on your own plot without a permit. The truth is completely different and concerns the Supreme Administrative Court’s judgment, from which wrong conclusions were drawn.
On June 17, 2025, the Supreme Administrative Court considered the case of an entrepreneur who stored dismantled concrete railway sleepers and earth excavated during construction works related to the construction of an express route on a plot of land. The Provincial Inspector of Environmental Protection in Łódź ordered the company owner to enter the waste stored on the company’s premises into the register.
The entrepreneur did not agree that the Voivodship Inspectorate of Environmental Protection classified sleepers and soil as waste. He explained that the sleepers were to be used as building material, and the soil was fertile and of natural origin. The man argued that his actions were consistent with the idea of ”zero waste”. However, he had no confirmation that he had obtained the land extracted from another place legally. The Provincial Administrative Court in Łódź dismissed the entrepreneur’s complaint, and the Supreme Administrative Court dismissed his cassation appeal.
A million zlotys fine for storing soil on a private plot? Don’t fall for it!
Failure to obtain a permit for running a business involving the collection and processing of waste may result in a fine ranging from PLN 1,000 to one million. However, wrong conclusions were drawn from the case. He thundered on this matter, among others: Confederation MEP Paweł Usiadek and some portals. It was suggested that the case concerned private persons who stored their own soil on their own plot. The matter was explained by the Demagogue website.
There are a few exceptions. Soil and earth can be legally stored for personal use, as long as it does not harm the environment. This applies to natural persons and organizational units. The maximum allowable amount is 0.2 tons per square meter of paved surface. Uncontaminated soil extracted during construction works is also not treated as waste if it is used for construction purposes in the same area where it was extracted.
