# Selective Collection and Management of Biowaste from the Municipal Sector in Poland: A Review
## 4 Opportunities for Change in the Biowaste Management Sector  
The generation of municipal waste is an integral part of human life. Threats to the environment from its improper management primarily include the soil environment, water, air, or scenic qualities. However, if appropriate measures are taken to manage it, most potential risks can be reduced. In 2020, of the municipal waste collected and received in Poland, approximately 7.7 million tons were destined for recovery (59% of municipal waste generated), of which 3.5 million tons (27%) were for recycling, 2.7 million tons (20%) for thermal conversion with energy recovery, and 1.6 million tons (12%) for biological processing (composing or digestion). A total of 5.4 million tons were diverted to disposal processes, of which 5.2 million tons (40% of municipal waste generated) were sent to landfills, and the remaining 0.2 million tons (1% of generation) were disposed of by thermal conversion without energy recovery [34]. Due to the efforts to achieve the highest possible amount of selectively collected waste, which the country is aiming for, it is expected that the amount of waste going to recycling will steadily increase while the amount of waste going to disposal processes will decrease. The current law and the implementation of the waste management process by local government units have a crucial impact on the shape of the waste management system [53]. The goal of the European Union countries, including Poland, is to reduce the amount of waste generated and to direct as much of the generated waste to recycling and recovery processes as possible. These activities are to be in line with the concepts of a closed-loop economy. In Poland, waste streams, such as paper and cardboard, glass, plastics, metals, and multi-material packaging are collected selectively. It is also possible to collect such waste as electronics, medicines, and bulky waste, but these must be delivered to particular collection points. In addition to legal regulations and measures taken by the public, it is necessary to organize an appropriate waste collection system. Municipalities are waste owners according to the Law of 13 September 1996 on maintaining cleanliness and order in municipalities [54]. One of the goals of these regulations was to be the best possible waste management. Like other waste in the municipal waste stream, the amount of biowaste varies from municipality to municipality. The level of recycling itself also depends to a large extent on how the system of individual waste groups has been organized in the municipalities. Figure 4: Contamination of biowaste collected selectively. Data from recent years indicate that the amount of selectively collected biowaste in Poland is increasing. As a result, more facilities will be needed to manage this waste. For this process to take place with the most significant possible benefit to the environment, it is necessary to ensure consistent solutions involving legislation, company waste management, and public actions. The issue of waste management, including biowaste, should be viewed as two essential aspects that affect each other. The first is the selective collection and disposal by people of properly collected waste. The second is its management, considering environmental but also economic factors. An essential aspect that can significantly correct the situation is waste collection logistics. In Poland, there is often a system of so-called \"routes\". It consists of the fact that a car picks up waste from specific locations in a constantly repeating cycle on fixed days. It does not consider how full the containers are. To some extent, this aspect can be regulated by the clear choice of the type and volume of containers, which would be adapted to household demand. However, interviews with industry representatives show that this is rare. The collection time for biowaste should be as short as possible so that there is no uncontrolled decomposition.