We segregate and protect

Properly constructed waste containers, clear marking and visible instructions – we take care of the environment and the appropriate level of recycling and provide travelers with infrastructure for selective waste collection and manage their collection.

2.2 billion tons – that’s how much waste is produced each year in the EU. More than a quarter (27%) is municipal waste produced by households. On average, each resident of the European Union delivered over 249 kg for recycling in 2022. The statistical Pole delivered 149 kg for recycling in the same period, ranking 20th in the list of all EU countries. To reduce further waste generation and its negative impact on the environment, the European Union has adopted recycling and landfill targets. By 2030, at least 60% of municipal waste produced annually in each EU member state is to be recycled, and the amount of municipal waste not subject to recycling should drop by half. The key to success is high environmental awareness, waste segregation and cooperation in this area.

Large waste segregation containers visible from a distance, are located at each of the 22 Rest and Service Areas of Autostrada Wielkopolska. They allow for selective collection of: paper, plastics and metal, glass and biodegradable waste. Clear instructions are placed next to the waste containers on what can be disposed of and in which container. Guidelines for selective waste collection may vary between regions, so this is an additional support and hint for travelers. This is important in terms of caring for the environment.

Environmental protection is a multi-faceted activity that includes large infrastructure projects (such as the construction of crossing for wild animals), but also minor everyday activities like waste segregation. Segregation reduces waste management costs, facilitates waste disposal and recycling of raw materials, and raises awareness of the environmental impact of waste, ultimately leading to a reduction in waste.
Already at the stage of designing and building Rest and Service Areas located along the 255-kilometer A2 concession section between Świecko and Konin, Autostrada Wielkopolska took care to designate selective waste collection points. Segregated waste is taken to Operation and Maintenance Centers and temporarily stored until the arrival of a specialized company. This way we are sure that waste goes to the right collection points.

All waste is collected by professional companies registered in the Waste Database (BDO) and managed in accordance with the law. From the point of view of segregation, it is important to correctly dispose of a particular waste – in the right container and in the right form (for example, empty a plastic bottle or beverage carton and then reduce its volume by crushing it – explains Agnieszka Sawicka, Greenery and Environmental Protection Coordinator at Autostrada Eksploatacja. – Let us keep in mind that improper segregation results in a bag of waste being flipped into the mixed waste container, followed by another, more expensive processing, she adds.

Waste today is no longer unwanted garbage, but is more and more often treated as a valuable raw material that can be extracted and reused at a relatively low cost. This is the case with glass, metal, paper or plastic. Recycled materials can be used to create such items as urban landscaping, newsprint paper, hygiene products, sports equipment or clothing (fleece, sportswear). Recycling saves raw materials and energy that would have to be used for industrial waste separation, and supports the environment.

Waste that is not put in a bin or picked up can be a danger to animals – such is the case with plastic bags, can pins, or until recently, sanitary masks. Any abandoned waste, including chewing gum, is a danger to animals. The design of waste containers is also important, it is advisable to choose ones with narrow openings, as safer for animals, says Marzena Białowolska-Barnyk, who runs Fundacja Dzikich Zwierząt (Wildlife Foundation).

Narrow openings in selective waste collection containers at the Rest and Service Areas of Autostrada Wielkopolska reduce the risk of waste blown away in the event of stronger gusts of wind, plus fewer odors escape through them that could attract small animals like birds and rodents.

Segregating waste makes sense and protects the environment. Therefore, let us segregate waste and handle it responsibly. Littering is not only inelegant, but also harmful. Left over waste can pollute the environment, causing contamination of entire ecosystems and thus negatively affecting biodiversity, which is a prerequisite for environmental balance.

General rules for waste segregation at the Rest and Service Area:

Waste segregation rules may vary from region to region, which is usually related to the infrastructure of individual waste treatment and processing facilities. However, most principles are universal. So – what to throw away and where? We suggest.

BLUE CONTAINER: PAPER

YES:
• paper packaging, paperboard, cardboard (including corrugated)
• newspapers and magazines
• paper bags and sacks
• wrapping paper
NO:
• paper towels and used tissues
• lacquered and foil-coated paper, carbon paper
• greased paper
• milk and beverage cartons
• paper bags of building materials and fertilizers
• wallpaper
• hygienic materials

YELLOW CONTAINER: PLASTICS AND METAL

YES:
• beverage bottles with caps
• plastic food packaging
• milk and juice cartons (multi-material packaging)
• packaging of cleaning products and cosmetics
• plastic bags, sacks, commercials, films
• beverage and juice cans
• tin cans
• aluminum foil
• caps, jar caps
NO:
• drug packaging and used medical supplies
• packaging of engine oils, paints, varnishes
• batteries and accumulators
• plastic toys

GREEN CONTAINER: GLASS

YES:
• beverage and food bottles and jars
• alcoholic beverage bottles
• glass cosmetics packaging (provided that it is not permanently attached to another raw material, such as plastic)
NO:
• table glass (heat-resistant)
• bulbs, fluorescent tubes
• packages of medicines, motor oils
• car windows
• thermometers and syringes

BROWN CONTAINER: BIOWASTE

YES:
• shredded branches of trees and shrubs
• leaves, flowers, cut grass
• vegetable and fruit waste
• sawdust and tree bark
• leftover food (without meat and bones, dairy products)
NO:
• animal bones, meat, dairy products
• cooking oil
• impregnated wood
• drugs
• animal excrement
• barbecue coal ash
• earth and stones
• other municipal waste (including hazardous)

MIXED WASTE

CLASSIC “STREET” WASTE CONTAINERS LOCATED AT THE REST AND SERVICE AREAS
All municipal waste (excluding hazardous waste) that cannot be recovered through the recycling process can be thrown in here.