EcoCycle in the City – An Educational Walk into the World of Recycling
What happens to waste after it leaves our homes? What does its second life look like in a circular economy system? These were some of the questions answered during the educational walk “EcoCycle in the City – A Walk Full of Discoveries” attended by fourth-grade students from Primary School No. 2 in Czeladź. The event took place on 2 June 2025 as part of the European Union Green Week and under the patronage of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Learning Through Experience
The initiative was organised in cooperation with Primary School No. 2, and the event host was the Municipality of Czeladź’s eco-manager, Henryk Michalski. The highlight of the programme was a visit to the Municipal Selective Waste Collection Point (PSZOK) in Czeladź.
During the walk, students observed how waste is received, sorted and processed. They learned which materials can be recycled and which require special disposal methods. Seeing the PSZOK in operation gave them a clear understanding of the importance of proper waste segregation in everyday life.
A Second Life for Waste – From Trash to Resource
“EcoCycle in the City” helped participants realise that waste is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new lifecycle. Properly sorted waste can be processed and reused as raw material, which reduces the amount of garbage sent to landfills and conserves natural resources.
The visit was enriched by discussions on the circular economy, the importance of recycling, and how the “zero waste” approach works in practice. The students also saw real examples of recycled materials and learned about the process of transforming waste into new products.
Waste and Air Quality
The event also addressed the impact of waste on air quality. Students discovered that illegal waste burning is a major source of harmful pollutants in the air. This helped them understand that responsible waste segregation and using official collection systems is also a way to protect the environment and public health.
Environmental Education in Action
The educational walk in Czeladź is a great example of learning through experience. This visit to the PSZOK gave students a practical understanding of how the circular economy works and demonstrated that ecology starts with the everyday choices we make at home.
Projekt zintegrowany LIFE "Śląskie. Przywracamy błękit". Kompleksowa realizacja programu ochrony powietrza dla województwa śląskiego realizowany jest przy dofinansowaniu z Programu LIFE Unii Europejskiej oraz Narodowego Funduszu Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej.
LIFE20 IPE/PL/000007 - LIFE-IP AQP-SILESIAN-SKY