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As the economy grows, so does the amount of packaging and one‑use products we throw away. Waste lying around is an eyesore, it pollutes the environment, and some types of waste like plastic bags or chewing gum are a deadly hazard to animals.

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Ilustracja przedstawia znaki ekologiczne, ecological markings. Znak 1.: zielone strzałki ułożone w trójkąt - znak produktów przeznaczonych do ponownego przetworzenia; : Symbol for items to be processed znak 2. 2 zielone strzałki skierowane w prawo i lewo - oznaczenie pojemników do ponownego wykorzystania, Symbol for containers to be reused; znak 3: symbolicznie przedstawiona roślina - oznaczenie produktów do kompostowania, Symbol for packaging to be composted.

Waste should be reprocessedwaste reprocessingreprocessed, that is used to recover as many secondary raw materials as possible.

Organic waste such as leftovers, mowed grass, fallen leaves, straw and sawdust should be composted. Compostable waste is used to build piles, with every layer having oxygen access. This way, soil micro‑organisms decompose such waste and turn it into fertiliser. During waste fermentation, some micro‑organisms give off methane, a fuel gas. Methane is produced in landfills, in water treatment plants, and in fertiliser and compost piles. Some landfills are equipped with degassing facilities, sometimes connected to systems of methane reclamation from biogasbiogasbiogas. Methane production during organic waste fermentation is also used in biogas plants: facilities for the production of methane, which can be used as a power source. As a substrate in biogas plants, organic components of municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, or sludge from water treatment plants may be used.

Many types of waste are incinerated in waste incineration plants. This reprocessing method is expensive but faster than recycling or composting ever‑growing piles. Incinerators burn waste in 1100°C. turning it into components that are relatively safe for the environment. The small amounts of hazardous substances are intercepted by filters and neutralised. Ashes are used for building materials. Waste incineration provides energy as well. Incineration plants have to comply with very high security standards.

Substances and equipment that may contaminate the environment may not be disposed along with municipal solid waste.

Energy‑saving lightbulbs, fluorescent lamps, batteries, and electronic devices are known as electronic waste. They contain certain amounts of very hazardous compounds, and should be turned in at municipal waste selective collection points to recover rare and valuable elements.

A category of waste that requires special processing is out‑of‑date medicine. Expired drugs may not be combined with mixed waste or flushed down the toilet; this way, they will not be reprocessed, and their component substances can end up in water reservoirs, groundwater, and drinkable water inlets.

Municipal solid waste management is a problematic matter in Poland as most of the waste is dumped at landfills.

Many landfills are simply depressions in the ground or excavation sites that were used to dump waste over the years. Due to its direct contact with the environment, noxious substances are leached by water and moved to soil and watercourse, and dust and gases, including methane, are released into the atmosphere. The surrounding area is also contaminated as some of the waste is blown away outside of the landfill by the wind.

Waste is easier to manage if it is segregated. This is why it is crucial to sort and collect different types of waste separately—paper, plastic, metal, glass, organic waste and hazardous waste such as depleted batteries, fluorescent lamps, electronic equipment, and chemicals. Thanks to selective collection, some of the waste will be reprocessed for raw materials, and some, incinerated. The goal of waste management is to minimise the amount of waste stored.

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Infografika dotycząca redukcji marnowanej żywności. Nagłówek: reducing food waste, what schools can do today. Ilustracja przedstawiająca traktor I zboża. Towarzyszy jej tekst: USDA's Economic Research Service estimates 31% of the overall food supply at the retail and consumer level went uneaten in the U.S. in 2010. Ilustracja przedstawiająca twa talerze, między nimi znak równania. Na pierwszym talerzu napis: Research shows Plate waste now, na drugim talerzu napis: plate waste before updated nutrition standards. Ilustracja przedstawiająca chłopca i dziewczynkę bawiących się piłką. Obok tekst: Scheduling recess before lunch can reduce plate waste by as much as 30%. Grafika stopera. Obok tekst: Expanding lunch periods from 20 to 30 minutes reduced plate waste by nearly one-third. Grafika różnych produktów spożywczych: truskawek, tostów, winogron, jabłek, jajek, kartonów mleka, marchewek I papryki. Smarter lunchroom strategies such as how foods are named and where they are placed in the cafeteria, can facilitate healthy choices and increase fruit and vegetable consumption up to 70%.

Summary

• Waste should be reprocessed.

• Waste must absolutely be segregated.

Keywords

waste, recycling, storing, reprocessing

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Grafika przedstawiająca tablicę szkolną, na której znajdują się zdania do dokończenia. Finish selected sentences. 1 It was easy for me (uzupełnij). 2 It was difficult for me (uzupełnij). 3 Today I learned (uzupełnij). 4 I understood that (uzupełnij). 5 It surprised me (uzupełnij).

Grafika przedstawiająca tablicę szkolną, na której znajdują się zdania do dokończenia. Finish selected sentences. 1 It was easy for me (uzupełnij). 2 It was difficult for me (uzupełnij). 3 Today I learned (uzupełnij). 4 I understood that (uzupełnij). 5 It surprised me (uzupełnij).

How was this lesson? Did you like it? Finish selected sentences.

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