Polish researchers expand recycling possibilities by turning milk cartons into benches

Polish researchers have shown their committement to advance recycling waste by producing public benches made of 70% shredded beverage cartons and 30% polyethylene film, compressed under high temperature and pressure.

Appearing in the northeastern city of Białystok, the four benches are the result of technology that was developed by researchers at Poznań University of Technology and is now being used by the municipal company Lech, which purchased the patent, as Polish media highlights.

“The benches ... are just a sample of the possible uses of this eco-friendly material,” said Białystok Mayor Tadeusz Truskolaski, noting the composite could also be used in construction and transport.  

The company's president, Michał Stefanowicz, said the company wants “to ensure that the city of Białystok utilizes as much waste as possible.”

Every ton recycled helps the city avoid waste-management penalties, with officials reporting that Białystok currently recycles 53% of its municipal waste. 

Stefanowicz said the company hopes to expand production from around 1,000 tons of recycled products annually to up to 4,000 tons, while also marketing the composite commercially. 

“We will invent products that people will like and that will build awareness that the product (waste) will be reused, not destroyed,” he added. 

Poland has recorded the EU's second-highest increase in recycling over the last decade. For packaging waste specifically, the overall recycling rate has reached roughly 60.4%, though it still slightly lags behind the overall EU average for municipal waste, which sits at 49%. 

By Nazrin Sadigova