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Sustainability
Volume 18
Issue 15
10.3390/su18158018
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Organic Municipal Waste—Testing and Analysis of End Products for Use in the Circular Economy and Their Potential Implications for Climate Change Mitigation

by
Józef Ciuła
1,
Elżbieta Sobiecka
2,*,
Agnieszka Dorota Woźniak
3,
Tomasz P. Olejnik
4,
Marian Banaś
5,
Tadeusz Pająk
5,
Halina Potok
6 and
Piotr Szewczyk
7
1
Faculty of Engineering Sciences, State University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz, Zamenhofa 1A, 33-300 Nowy Sącz, Poland
2
Institute of Natural Products and Cosmetics, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Stefanowskiego 2/22, 90-357 Lodz, Poland
3
State University of Applied Sciences in Krosno, Rynek 1, 38-400 Krosno, Poland
4
Department of Occupational Safety Engineering, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Wolczanska 213, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
5
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, AGH University of Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
6
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz, 33-300 Nowy Sącz, Poland
7
Zakład Unieszkodliwiania Odpadów Komunalnych “Orli Staw”, Orli Staw 2, 62-834 Cekow, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2026, 18(15), 8018; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18158018
Submission received: 18 May 2026 / Revised: 27 July 2026 / Accepted: 29 July 2026 / Published: 6 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Climate Action for Global Health—2nd Edition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Municipal organic waste is one of the types of waste generated mainly in households but also by other producers. The key to managing this waste is to use appropriate treatment processes to reduce its negative impacts on the environment. The composting process involves the decomposition of persistent organic pollutants and their binding with the organic fraction. This study involved quantitative and qualitative research and analyses of organic waste contained in mixed municipal waste and selectively collected waste in Poland between 2020 and 2024. The aim of the study was to compare the final parameters of two types of organic waste after biological treatment, assess their potential management pathways within the circular economy, and discuss their potential relevance to greenhouse gas mitigation. The research results showed that, after applying the same biological processes to the two analyzed organic waste streams, the final products exhibited significant differences in physicochemical parameters, which necessitates the use of different management methods. The first end product can be classified as compost—a potential fertilizer—and must meet quality requirements for an organic soil improver. The second end product can be used for land reclamation if it meets all three criteria: an AT4 (four-day aerobic respiration activity of the material) value of <10 mgO2/g dry weight, loss on ignition of less than 35%, and organic carbon content of less than 20% dry weight. The products of the biological treatment of organic waste include fertilizers and stabilized waste intended for further processing.
Keywords: organic waste; sustainable development; recycling; climate change; environmental protection organic waste; sustainable development; recycling; climate change; environmental protection

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ciuła, J.; Sobiecka, E.; Woźniak, A.D.; Olejnik, T.P.; Banaś, M.; Pająk, T.; Potok, H.; Szewczyk, P. Organic Municipal Waste—Testing and Analysis of End Products for Use in the Circular Economy and Their Potential Implications for Climate Change Mitigation. Sustainability 2026, 18, 8018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18158018

AMA Style

Ciuła J, Sobiecka E, Woźniak AD, Olejnik TP, Banaś M, Pająk T, Potok H, Szewczyk P. Organic Municipal Waste—Testing and Analysis of End Products for Use in the Circular Economy and Their Potential Implications for Climate Change Mitigation. Sustainability. 2026; 18(15):8018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18158018

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ciuła, Józef, Elżbieta Sobiecka, Agnieszka Dorota Woźniak, Tomasz P. Olejnik, Marian Banaś, Tadeusz Pająk, Halina Potok, and Piotr Szewczyk. 2026. "Organic Municipal Waste—Testing and Analysis of End Products for Use in the Circular Economy and Their Potential Implications for Climate Change Mitigation" Sustainability 18, no. 15: 8018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18158018

APA Style

Ciuła, J., Sobiecka, E., Woźniak, A. D., Olejnik, T. P., Banaś, M., Pająk, T., Potok, H., & Szewczyk, P. (2026). Organic Municipal Waste—Testing and Analysis of End Products for Use in the Circular Economy and Their Potential Implications for Climate Change Mitigation. Sustainability, 18(15), 8018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18158018

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