Segregation of waste has entered the Polish blood, but many of us are inactive making a catastrophic mistake. It's not about confusing a plastic container with glass, it's about throwing mixed objects into the waste that are a ticking ecological bomb. As it turns out, for getting free of an old phone, utilized batteries, or even a burnt bulb, there is simply a severe financial penalty. Mandate speech in tallness up to 5000 PLN. Unfortunately, the statistic are alarming and show that the problem concerns hundreds of thousands of Poles who unwittingly endanger the environment and their own wallet. The rules are clear on this, and ignorance can cost money. We explain what absolutely must not be thrown into a simple dumpster and how to avoid severe punishment.
Waste segregation in Poland. The law is ruthless
The rules for the segregation of municipal waste in Poland are clearly defined by the regulations and are based on the Single Waste Segregation strategy (JSSO), supervised by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. This strategy is based on 5 basic fractions, each of which is assigned the colour of the container: blue for paper, yellow for metals and plastics, green for glass, brown for bio waste and black for mixed waste. This last container is the origin of the biggest problems, due to the fact that it gets to it things that should never be there.
It is worth remembering that segregation is not just an empty password. According to the law, municipalities have tools to enforce appropriate treatment of waste. They may impose increased criminal charges on residents and companies who waive this obligation. Moreover, from 2025 each municipality in Poland will be obliged to run Selective Point of the Municipal Waste Collection (PSZOK)which will make it even easier to decently dispose of problematic garbage. Mandatory segregation besides applies to construction and repair waste and textiles. Ignoring these rules, especially in the context of hazardous waste, is simply a simple way to a advanced mandate.
Electro-smack, a silent killer in our bins.
The category of waste that causes Poles the most problems is ZSEE, i.e. utilized electrical and electronic equipment, colloquially called junk. The survey conducted by GfK Polonia is merciless – it shows that even 1 in 5 Poles (20%) at least erstwhile in their life threw electrowaste into a regular container In the garbage. Many people mistakenly believe that the problem concerns only large appliances specified as refrigerators or washing machines. Nothing more wrong. This group besides includes:
- Batteries and accumulators
- Powerbanks
- Cell phones and smartphones
- Burnt bulbs, fluorescent lamps and LED bulbs
- Loaders, cables and power supplies
- Broken electronic toys
- Old laptops, mice, keyboards
- RTV equipment (pilots, radios, headphones)
All these items contain substances that are highly harmful to the environment. erstwhile they scope the landfill, toxic compounds penetrate the dirt and groundwater, poisoning them for decades. We're talking about substances like Mercury (in fluorescent lamps), lead and cadmium (in batteries and old monitors) or freon (in refrigerators). Their presence in the ecosystem poses a direct threat to human and animal health.
Not just poison. The hazard of fire is real
The environmental hazard is not the only reason why electro-drash must be treated in a peculiar way. Many modern devices, especially smartphones, laptops, powerbanks or e-cigarettes, are powered Lithium-ion batteries. Thrown into a regular container, they pose a immense hazard of fire. During the waste collection process, the garbage is crushed in a garbage truck under tremendous pressure. The Lithium-ion battery so damaged may be self-inflammable, leading to a violent and hard to extinguish fire inside the vehicle.
A akin danger exists in waste sorting facilities. The spark from the damaged battery can fire on a heap of flammable materials specified as paper or plastic in no time. specified fires are not only costly, but besides emit a cloud of toxic gases into the atmosphere, posing a threat to the workers of the plant and surrounding residents. Correct disposal is so not only a question of ecology, but besides basic public security.
Where do you legally and safely throw out your electronics to avoid punishment?
To avoid a mandate of up to PLN 5000, which provides for Law of 11 September 2015 on waste electrical and electronic equipment, usage dedicated collection points. There are respective possibilities and they are available to everyone.
The most crucial place is already mentioned PESZOK (Point of the Selective Municipal Waste Collection). Any resident of the municipality can return the utilized electronic equipment free of charge. The address and beginning hours of the local PSZOK can be easy found on the website of the city or municipality. The second option is shops. Large markets with RTV and household appliances are required to accept old equipment free of charge if we buy fresh equipment of the same kind (e.g. we return the old washing device erstwhile buying fresh one). In addition, shops with a sales area of more than 400 m2 must take tiny waste (up to 25 cm) without having to buy fresh goods. frequently there are besides peculiar containers for utilized batteries, light bulbs or telephones in markets and buying malls. It is besides worth tracking messages from local authorities that regularly organize mobile electro-waste collection, frequently with the anticipation of receiving larger equipment straight from home.
Continued here:
Never throw it in the trash. There's a fine of up to $5,000 for this!
