The problem of solid waste on the tourist trails of Tatra National Park, Poland

Litter left behind on tourist trails is a persistent problem in national parks, regardless of the country in which the park is situated. The present article analyses the amount of waste on tourist trails in the most popular natural park in Poland, Tatra National Park (TNP), a small area of a mountainous character which is heavily used by tourists. Tourists who use the Tatra trails leave from 140 to 180 m3 solid waste there per year. Its presence in parks, as well as being unsightly, is a potential risk for fauna and flora. 90% of the waste collected from the trails in TNP is hard or non-biodegradable waste. The waste from TNP’s tourists trails needs to be considered in its totality, as recyclable fractions make up about 70% of all rubbish disposed of, and so areas such as TNP should be subject to organized waste management. It was found that the particular strategy implemented significantly affects the amount of waste from the tourist trails that is actually collected and disposed of. The key element for the efficient functioning of the waste-management strategy is the consistent implementation of an action plan that takes into account the specific nature of the area and the principles under which it is made available to tourists. Particularly significant are the frequency and regularity with which rubbish is removed. Moreover, there is a need to raise public awareness regarding waste left on tourists trails in TNP. Profile