Trends and prospects in management of mixed municipal waste and opportunities of its economic utilization

In the face of intense development of our civilization, municipal waste contributes greatly to environmental pollution. In Poland, especially in large conurbations, municipal waste is a major category of waste. This paper discusses trends in municipal waste management, resulting from applicable standards in the European Union which are intended, fi rst of all, to minimize landfi lling. Problems relating to the handling of thermal processing and mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of waste are described. Waste processing, intended to generate energy by co-combustion, is also presented. Moreover, this paper refers to the legal regulations that waste processing plants are expected to comply with.