POLECO 2024 - the business event for sustainable development and environmental protection

The extensive range of products also included construction, winter and summer road maintenance machinery, as well as waste handling systems. Exhibitors, including recovery organisations, recyclers and manufacturers of recycler technology, focused on innovation, offering products that address specific waste management and sustainability challenges.

The programme of conferences and debates accompanying POLECO 2024 attracted key market players and experts who discussed future strategies and new business models. - ‘This was not only an exhibition of technology, but also a space for strategic discussions that will set the industry's future direction, inspiring the introduction of greener and more cost-effective solutions,’ emphasises Paulina Pietrzak, POLECO trade fair director.

Products decorated with gold

Once again, the competition jury awarded Gold Medals at POLECO. As the experts evaluating the submitted solutions emphasised, the selection of the winners was very difficult due to their high level of innovation and unique features related to sustainable development. The jury decided to award seven Gold Medals to products submitted by POLECO exhibitors. Awards were given to the biodegradable compostable bags for green and kitchen waste with drawstring, the Coanda classifier, the SMIMO120 unpacking machine, the i-STEP platform, the Sielaff SiCompact ECO M bottle machine, the Arctos single-shaft shredder and the Twister organic fraction separator from packaging. The winner of the Consumer's Choice Gold Medal plebiscite was the SMIMO120 unpacking machine.

Circular Economy Summit

The event attracted experts, entrepreneurs and industry representatives who shared examples of good practices and modern technologies supporting recycling and reuse of raw materials. Panels organised by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, SMM Legal, Ziemski&Partners, Wastes Service Group, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Scrap Management, the Warsaw Green Building Standard, the Circular Economy and Recycling Cluster, the Green Recovery Organisation and the MTP Group were of great interest.

Low-carbon transformation, climate change adaptation measures crucial for the development of municipal infrastructure, as well as municipal companies in light of the green transformation were the key topics of the Circular Economy Summit. Participants at the event sought to answer questions such as how to integrate batteries into the national and European circular economy and are we ready to implement a deposit system? They also discussed Industry 4.0. in the battery and automotive industry, the new WSR (Waste Shipment Regulation), new regulations for critical and strategic raw materials, and the potential and future of metal waste recycling. Of particular interest were topics on the Packaging Directive, packaging recycling levels, sustainable urban building standards.

 

Good practices in waste management

The Circular Economy and Recycling Cluster, the PlasticsEurope Poland Foundation and the MTP Group organised the third edition of the conference ‘Good practices of waste management - let's talk about...’, during which innovative solutions and challenges in waste management were discussed. Experts and industry practitioners shared their experiences on sustainable recycling and modern waste management methods. Panellists emphasised the importance of education and cross-sectoral cooperation to minimise waste and promote green practices in waste management.

The conference was attended by more than 20 speakers, as well as several hundred listeners who curiously participated in the subsequent event highlights. In addition to the discussions taking place on stage - an undoubted asset of the conference were the discussions held after the official conference points and during breaks, which allowed for the exchange of experiences and networking.

Vehicle recycling in a nutshell

Another event held during POLECO 2024 was a conference organised by the FORS Car Recycling Forum Association and the MTP Group entitled ‘Vehicle recycling in a nutshell’. The programme included issues related to car recycling and sustainable waste management of end-of-life vehicles. The meeting brought together experts who presented current legal regulations and innovative technologies to support the effective recycling of materials from vehicles, such as metals and plastics. Speakers also emphasised the need for increased efficiency in the treatment of automotive waste. The conference concluded with a debate on ‘Where do we go from here’, attended by the presidents of automotive unions and associations.

Fire safety and environmental protection

The State Fire Service, the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Poznań and the MTP Group organised a conference entitled ‘Fire Safety and Environmental Protection. How to behave during a fire, an accident or a carbon monoxide threat?’. The lecture showed from a practical standpoint how dangerous carbon monoxide is to humans, and how to behave during an accident or fire when we are exposed to it. The topics covered included detectors, escape and fire routes, as well as the responsibilities of property managers and owners.

At the stand of the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Poznań, visitors were offered a huge dose of specialist knowledge as well as a wealth of information about the institution's activities.

A wetland-friendly city

The POLECO 2024 event programme also included the conference ‘Climate and Environment. Wetland-friendly city', which was organised by the Poznań City Hall, the Climate and Environment Department and the MTP Group. The conference aimed to promote the protection and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands. Through the lectures, knowledge of ecology and the potential that lies in marshes and wetlands was enhanced.

Environmental protection in practice

The Wielkopolska Branch of the Polish Association of Sanitary Engineers and Technicians, together with the MTP Group, organised the 10th ‘Environmental Protection in Practice’ conference. On this jubilee occasion, awards and medals were presented to the most distinguished members of the conference. The substantive part of the conference did not lack well-known names from the industry. The programme included topics such as: Hormones and antibiotics in the environment - small concentrations of great importance, Environmental impact assessment of projects related to the operation of waste treatment facilities (recovery, recycling, disposal), The role of small wastewater treatment plants in water protection.

Exhibition of the ‘Product in Circulation’ competition

The POLECO trade fair exhibition was enriched by the awarding of prizes to the winners and the exhibition of the ‘Product in Circulation’ competition, whose aim was to identify innovative solutions to close the circulation of raw materials. The competition was organised by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The competition was financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

The POLECO trade fair was held under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, as well as under the trade patronage of chambers and associations and under the patronage of local government associations. The trade fair was held under the media patronage of 20 trade portals and magazines.