On Saturday, November 8, many residents of Legnica visited the waste facility, accepting an invitation from Mayor Tadeusz Krzakowski. In reality, it is a large enterprise that even generates electricity.
Residents who went to see the RIPOK on Saturday were transported by an MPK bus. They had the opportunity to see all the installations, learn what happens to the waste we throw away and what is made from it. Employees of Legnickie Przedsiębiorstwo Gospodarki Komunalnej, its owner, guided the visitors and talked about the facility. Mayor Tadeusz Krzakowski recalled that the company had invested tens of millions of złoty in the RIPOK, making it one of the most modern facilities not only in the region today.
Waste delivered to the facility is processed so that as little of it as possible goes to the landfill cells. It is sorted and then sold—for example, glass, plastic, metal and paper. Compost is made from biodegradable waste. Electricity is generated at the facility in a small power plant. Its equipment processes biogas extracted from the cells where waste is stored. The electricity generated could supply a town the size of Prochowice. Construction waste is also recycled here. It is crushed and then used, for example, to build roads. Household appliances and consumer electronics are collected at the Selective Municipal Waste Collection Point established at the facility. Visitors could see how this equipment has changed over the years.
What impression did the residents of Legnica have after visiting the facility? “It makes an incredible impression,” says Józef Kobiel. “I had never been here before. Now I know how large and modern this enterprise is.”
Jadwiga Smal visited the facility with her great-grandson Maciek. “I am interested in technology because I worked with it professionally,” says Mrs. Jadwiga. “There are many eye-catching devices here. This facility is modern. I like the fact that everything is orderly.”
“At last I saw how waste is handled,” adds Ryszard Biernat. “I did not expect so much to be happening here—and that we have such a modern facility.”
Legnickie Przedsiębiorstwo Gospodarki Komunalnej, the owner of the facility, has invested heavily in modern technologies and equipment for years in order to meet the highest environmental-protection requirements and national and European standards for municipal waste management. This year, a waste-sorting plant was opened. It receives selectively collected recyclable materials. After sorting, recyclable materials—glass, paper, cardboard and plastics—are separated and then sold. Thanks to the sorting plant, less waste goes to the landfill. The investment cost approximately PLN 10 million, including external funding.
Let us recall the other important investments. In 2010, a modern, environmentally friendly composting plant was established at the facility. The investment, including machinery, cost more than PLN 11.3 million. In October last year, a storage facility for selectively collected waste such as batteries and used electrical and electronic equipment was opened at the site. The investment, financed by LPGK, cost approximately PLN 600,000. The company will soon begin further projects that are very important for the environment. A Construction and Demolition Waste Crushing Station will be built at the facility. As part of the composting plant modernization, three halls for six composting piles will be erected. Biofilters will also be installed to purify the air and neutralize unpleasant odors.
UM Legnica/ii