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Dresden Council Blocks Mayor’s 49% Sale of City Waste Company

The mayor proposed a 49% sale to fund SRD upgrades, claiming it would limit steep fee increases.

Overview

  • City councillors approved an SPD motion 46–21 instructing Mayor Dirk Hilbert not to initiate a partial sale of Stadtreinigung Dresden (SRD).
  • Hilbert has warned SRD needs roughly €350 million through 2035 for fleet electrification and depot expansion or relocation.
  • SRD employees and the works council protested outside city hall, pointing to problems during the 2004 Veolia period before the city repurchased the company in 2020.
  • SRD recorded about €4 million in profit in 2024, yet factions including SPD, Greens, Die Linke, PVP and BSW rejected privatization.
  • Options discussed had included selling to SachsenEnergie or private investors, while the CDU requested detailed models and the AfD said there is no current reason to privatize.