Polish companies share best practices in waste management

CII’s exclusive session on Turning Waste To Worth: Poland’s Know-How and Technology Proposal For India earlier this week highlighted the best and innovative practices of Polish companies, while exploring potential partnership opportunities.

Here are some of the key points made by the speakers:

Ms. Agnieszka Jedlińska Wojnowska, Head of Marketing, Institute of Mechanised Construction and Rock Mining (Łukasiewicz Research Network – IMBiGS)

In the initial presentation, Ms. Wojnowska and her colleague, highlighted their project on production of light-weight aggregates from sewage sludge. Their main objectives emphasized the waste stabilization process and focused on producing light-weight aggregates from organic as well as inorganic waste. A key feature of their innovation was to carry over the thermal processes lower than the other methods (1000-1100°C). The participants also got a glimpse of their industrial-scale testing.

It was concluded from their innovations that the size and number of pores influenced waste absorbability. Add to that, the aggregates produced from the waste materials assure stabilisation of dangerous compounds contained in sewage sludges. The environmental benefits and opportunities of unbound applications for the aggregates were given priority during the presentation. 

Ms. Zawadzka, Main Specialist, Electrical Engineering Institute (Łukasiewicz Research Network)

Ms. Zawadzka proposed her research on mechanical treatment of materials dedicated to electrical application and industries. A key aspect of their research is the principle of compounding new composites through resin matric and recyclates of different volumes. 

Ms. Zawadzka presented an example of their research, where a broken blade of a wind turbine was processed to form a composite which contained 20% of the recyclate. Following this, the material tests and quality control measures were discussed. 

Mr. Grzegorz Heizer, CEO of Render, Head of Marketing for PROTE and Ekolog

Water and wastewater management-based technologies were shared by Mr. Heizer. Initially, SYMBIO, their rapid alert system for drinking water contamination was presented. The technology currently monitors water consumed by over 10 million people in Europe. 

This was followed by presentations on sewage sludge treatment technology, PROTE-MOS and a bio-waste treatment method to produce fertilisers, PROTE-POS. Lastly, a lake reclamation technology which was stated to be significant in cleaning river Ganga was presented. Already patented in India, this vessel-based method provides rehabilitation of aquatic reservoirs. 

Mr. Marek Zaborowski, EU Cooperation with the International Solar Alliance

Mr. Zaborowski gave an overview about the annual installed capacity of PV (Photovoltaic) applications in India. The current situation of PV waste management was featured, which involved owners bearing the costs for disposal and storage of damaged PVs. Following which short and long-term recommendations that underlined recycling policies and industrial collaboration were presented.