Poland

Waste Production

Waste constitutes a growing problem in Poland. Statistical data indicate that Poland generates in excess of 12 million tons of municipal waste per year in the early 21st century. (Municipal waste should be understood as solid and liquid wastes generated in households and other functional buildings.) Assessment data show that the average amount of gathered municipal wastes per capita in Poland ranged between 300 and 500 pounds per year. The amount of waste generated by an average Pole is comparable with respect to the average European. Many Polish districts practice selective collection of municipal waste. A considerable portion of municipal waste is constituted of paper and cardboard, then glass, followed by biodegradable wastes, large-dimension wastes, and plastic. The smallest portions of waste are hazardous wastes, textiles, and metals.

Landfills

Unfortunately, most municipal waste in Poland is thrown away. Waste management is still one of the most serious issues when considering environmental protection in Poland. Developing the infrastructure of Polish cities is caused by more and more intense human living and economic activity. Regrettably, most generated wastes are not used economically but are simply dumped. One of the most frequently used methods of managing wastes in Poland is waste disposal. Dumps and landfills are not only the oldest but also still the most popular method of waste management. Wastes that are usually not recyled are plastic packaging, glass packaging, paper, cardboard, glass, metals, organic wastes, and destroyed building materials. Unfortunately, despite the fact that most of these wastes are able to be processed to obtain usable material, Polish municipal services continue to transport such wastes out of town.

The standard procedure that is carried out in a dump is based on several stages. First, wastes are ground down in order to form the tiniest parts. Then, compressing (also called “waste compaction”) is carried out by a huge compactor so as to extend the dump's lifespan. After those two stages, daily covering with soil occurs. The estimated amount of municipal waste generated each year is about 10–12 million tons. A considerable amount of this (more than 90 percent) lands in a dump. The main advantage of that method of neutralizing wastes is its simplicity and relatively low cost. The greatest danger is “wild dumps” that are in contrast to arranged dumps.

Huge environmental hazards exist when people throw waste into woods or in a wild dump because in such places the public does not generally care about the site's ecological aspects. Additionally, even an arranged landfill site during the period of exploitation causes dust emissions and the leaching of poisonous chemical substances into soil and underground waters. In Poland, the benefits gained from recycling municipal wastes has not yet convinced production enterprises to recylce.

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