The problem of ecology in Poland and worldwide, global warming and pollution of the Earth have been the subject of much discussion for many years. People and their habits have the greatest impact on the environment and its condition. Ecology and environmental protection - differences and ways to reduce negative impacts on nature. In our article, you will learn about Polish ecology in a nutshell and find out what action you should take to improve the environment.
Ecology in Poland and environmental awareness
The majority of ecological activities in Poland are undertaken in the area of waste segregation and reduction of water and air pollution. According to surveys and polls on awareness and knowledge of ecology, more than 90% of Poles segregate waste in their homes. The high percentage of such actions may be due to the introduction of a law requiring waste segregation under the threat of criminal and monetary consequences. The most common reason for not segregating waste is the lack of special containers or lack of space to place such containers.
According to the Poles surveyed, the main source that contributes to air pollution is emissions from individual sources, i.e. domestic cookers. Large facilities, factories and the like have less and less influence on poor air quality. Air pollution is the biggest problem in Polish environmental protection.
Water pollution is the last of Poland's ecological problems. Food wastage is also one of the activities that negatively affect the environment. The reason for such negative actions is the lack of sufficient knowledge on how to use food efficiently. A common problem in Poland is also the dumping of waste on illegal landfills, including in forests or near rivers. In addition to polluting the water itself, this leads to contamination of the soil and thus the plants and animal habitats in the area.
Ecology in Poland - the problem of polluted air
One of the ecological problems in Poland is high air pollution. The majority of respondents to surveys and polls believe that individual sources, i.e. household cookers, are the main contributor. Industry has less and less influence on air quality. As many as 31% of households use a connection to the district heating network to heat their home. Around 14% use coal heating and 28% use gas heating options.
More than half of those heating their home with a coal cooker say they want to replace their old cooker with low-emission cookers and use renewable heat sources. According to the majority of respondents, measures should be taken to prevent further air pollution. These mainly include replacing old, coal-fired cookers with low-emission ones, reducing emissions from combustion cars and increasing controls on items burned in domestic cookers. The implementation of campaigns promoting pro-environmental behaviour could have a very strong impact on actions taken in this direction.
Food waste - the scale of the problem, or ecology vs. business and ecology in numbers
Another of the problems concerning ecology in Poland is food waste. According to news reported by the Polish Press Agency, around 5 million tonnes of food are wasted in Poland every year. However, research conducted by the Polish Economic Institute indicates that this figure may be as high as 9 tonnes of food. This is one of the higher results in the European Union and puts Poland in 5th place in the ranking. According to the study, as much as 60% of wasted food comes from households. This is surprising, as it would seem that this behaviour mainly concerns trade and industry. However, research shows that they are responsible for 30% of all waste. It is also extremely surprising that catering contributes only 1% to the overall problem.
Surveys show that Poles throw away around 35% of food products and as much as 70% of unconsumed meals. They also very often get rid of products before the expiry date. This is very often related to buying too much food. Reducing food waste is a problem on which Poles should be educated. Implementation of appropriate programmes teaching how to use food in the most effective way or how to store it so that it stays fresh as long as possible should be one of the priorities in Poland.
Ecology - Pro-ecological companies in Poland are gaining in popularity every year. One of the elements positively influencing the reduction of food waste is the growth of organic farming in Poland. In addition to its positive impact on the environment, organic farming is changing market demand and spreading awareness of ecology among consumers. 
Ecological solutions put into practice, or ecology in practice
For decades, environmental organisations in Poland and around the world have been concerned with protecting the Earth, and fighting pollution caused by humans. In addition, some institutions take care of the afforestation of cities and many other areas thanks to the fund they collect. Combating the problem alone, unfortunately, does not help enough with nature and the way it has been neglected by us. To make the best possible contribution to improving the environment, it is important to start by regularly separating waste. Another step towards making a positive impact on the environment is not wasting food. Try not to buy a lot of products that spoil quickly.
Ecology in Poland and education - how to teach about ecology?
Environmental awareness in society should include both knowledge of and interest in environmental behaviour. Environmental education is often associated with monotonous lectures. For some years now, this method of teaching has been abandoned, and nature-environmental activities in both kindergartens and schools are increasingly demanding of pupils and provide not only knowledge but also entertainment.
Learning about ecology in kindergartens and schools has only recently become a compulsory subject. According to statistics, the most effective and interesting activities are those organised in nature. This can take the form, for example, of an excursion to one of the local parks or nature reserves. Diverse and unusual activities will make it easier to get pupils interested and therefore better able to transfer knowledge. For younger pupils, it will be an engaging learning idea to organise activities with props, such as segregating rubbish. It is also a good idea to find interesting films about ecology, animals and the protection of their natural habitats.
