THIRD DAY OF COLAB ENTITLED “HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF PLASTIC USE”

Three days (25–27 May 2026) of inspiring meetings at Asten Group S.A., focused on plastics and microplastics!

On May 27, the third day of the CoLAB entitled “Health and environmental aspects of plastic use: the problem of microplastics” took place.

The event was held from 25 to 27 May 2026 at Asten Group S.A. in Czestochowa. The symposium was organised as part of the activities specified in the schedule of the “European Universities” project, which brings together nine partner universities within the COLOURS Alliance.

The third day featured two workshops: a mock court trial simulation, held at the Faculty of Law and Economics of Jan Dlugosz University and prepared by students from the “Crimen et Poenam” Criminal Law Scientific Club, under the supervision of prof. Monika Bartnik, as well as an off-site workshop conducted at the Czestochowa Municipal Company in Sobuczyna.

The culmination of the three-day CoLAB was the conclusion of the Hackathon competition entitled “Awareness enhancement of the risks associated with the improper management of plastics”. Following three days of intensive work encompassing four stages (Dream it, Make it, Test it, Share it), participants developed innovative solutions and tools aimed at combating plastic pollution through increasing public awareness of the risks associated with improper plastic waste management.

Finally, students presented their projects to a nine-member competition jury, composed of representatives of university authorities, the socio-economic environment, academic staff, and a student representative:
- prof. Marek Kowalczuk – Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences in Zabrze
- dr Danuta Ciechańska – Biobased Economy Cluster Association
- eng. Magdalena Pantoł, MSc – Bioplastics Design and Application Centre, Corporate Department of Strategy and Development, Grupa Azoty S.A.; Białystok University of Technology
- Piotr Strach – Member of the Polish Parliament (Sejm of the Republic of Poland)
- Judyta Belka-Domińczyk – Czestochowa Municipal Company Ltd.
Asteniusz Myśliwiec – ASTEN Group S.A.
- Julia Polak – JDU student representative
- prof. Marcin Sosnowski – Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Internationalisation at JDU, Chair of the Competition Committee
- prof. Piotr Rychter – Interdisciplinary Scientific and Research Centre of JDU

A total of 10 individual and team projects were submitted to the competition. The participating students represented the Faculty of Art and the Faculty of Law and Economics of JDU. The jury evaluated the projects based on three criteria: relevance to the competition theme, level of innovation, and the potential applicability and implementation of the proposed solution.

As a result of the evaluation, three main prizes were awarded (two first prizes ex aequo to students from the Faculty of Law and Economics, second place, and third place to students from the Faculty of Art), along with six honourable mentions.

First place was awarded to two projects:
- “Microplastics in your body”, created by Wiktoria Dursiewicz, Aleksander Dyrkacz, and Olaf Cieślak
- “Your actions have an impact on our future” (board game), created by Marta Mieszek and Wiktoria Księżopolska

Second place for an artistic project was awarded to Sandra Ślęzak.

Third place for the project “The human journey” was awarded to Sara Chojnacka.

Honourable mentions were awarded to:
Anna Paterek-Rukasz
Katarzyna Kołacz
Zofia Szpikowska
Tici Handler
Gabriela Bielińska
Wiktoria Ligudzińska

All prizes, with a total value of €2,500, were financed from the budget of the COLOURS European Universities Alliance.

Congratulations to all the participants and winners!