Environment minister admits recycling blunder

Minister of the Environment Marcin Korolec. Photo: Polish Radio/W.Kusinski

However, speaking to Polish Radio on Thursday, Korolec insisted that the mistake was a one-off blunder.

“It was the beginning of the holidays, we have four children, and I sent the whole group away on a trip,” he said.

“There was terrible chaos in the house,” he added.

Claims that the minister was not recycling, in spite of encouraging Poles to do so, were made by tabloid paper Super Express, which took photos of the contents of Korolec's bin.

Paper, plastic and glass items had all apparently been thrown away by the minister's family, without taking advantage of recycling bins.

The incident caused an embarrassment to the minister, the very week that Poland launched a new waste disposal programme that is supposed to be more favourable to the environment. (nh)