Oslo's city officials are revisiting the controversial decision to privatize garbage collection services, a move that previously resulted in significant operational chaos. A new consultancy report suggests that privatizing parts of these services could save the municipality approximately 9.3 million NOK, as part of broader recommendations aimed at improving the efficiency of the city's operations. The review comes on the heels of serious concerns raised by locals who suffered through a poorly managed privatization in 2017, where garbage overflowed onto city streets and workers experienced extreme burnout, with individuals like Emil Gasparovic citing their experiences as 'hell.'

The report, which details 128 suggestions for operational efficiency, estimates that following through on all recommendations could ultimately yield a staggering 3.8 billion NOK in savings for the city. However, the proposal to privatize garbage collection has faced harsh pushback from the left-wing parties in the city council, who have pointed to the disastrous consequences of the previous privatization. They emphasize that the quality of service suffered significantly, leading to public dissatisfaction and operational turmoil that the city struggled to manage.

As the city council grapples with the implications of these recommendations, the future of garbage collection in Oslo remains uncertain. The city administration has yet to decide which specific proposals it will pursue, leaving residents concerned about the prospect of repeating the mistakes of the past. This debate underscores broader questions around the role of privatization in public services and how to balance costs with the quality of essential municipal operations.