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Municipal waste management in Poland has continuously changed over the past years regarding collection systems and disposal processes. After joining the EU, the approach to waste management changed dramatically, intensifying selective collection and implementing recovery and treatment processes. Recent years have shown that a further fundamental overhaul in the waste sector is needed to convert the sector to a closed-loop economy. These challenges are appearing in Poland, forcing actions in which the efficiency of the waste stream management system should generate added value in the form of sourced raw materials, materials and products. The waste generated should be managed following the waste hierarchy, in which disposal is the least desirable process. The work aims to analyse the current state of municipal waste management in Poland concerning applicable legal requirements, waste management hierarchy and the use of the best available technologies. The data from the analysis was used to determine where Poland is currently, heading towards transforming to a circular economy in the technological, social, environmental and economic areas. The research results showed the need to reduce the waste generated, including a significant reduction in the amount of waste stored in landfills and a significant increase in the recycling rates of municipal waste. In this context, supporting the transition to a closed-loop economy is essential in creating a lowcarbon, recycling and innovative waste management, implementing EU strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive emergence of plastics has contributed to their widespread use in everyday life. Unfortunately, the lack of appropriate technologies for processing these materials has contributed to environmental pollution by plastic particles. This study investigated the possibility of obtaining nanoparticles from selected plastics such as polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. Polyethylene was obtained from plastic bag waste, and polyethylene terephthalate was from crushed plastic bottles of mineral water. The first stage of nanoparticle production was to grind the collected used plastic waste, i.e., plastic bags and plastic bottles, to the smallest possible size using a cutting mill. Next, the waste was ground in a planetary-ball mill and then homogenised in a homogeniser. The particle size distribution of the obtained particles for selected waste plastics was examined using the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method. The objective of the work was achieved - as a result of the performed procedures, nanoparticles of waste plastics were obtained. The following average sizes for particular materials were obtained: plastic bottles (PET) 212.81 nm, plastic bags (PE) 208.14 nm, and smaller particles, e.g. 27.74 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]