Agricultural biogas plants are a renewable source of energy and at the same time enable the disposal of biodegradable waste generated in agriculture and the food industry. In Poland, a program aimed at constructing agricultural biogas plants has been in operation since 2010 with the goal of producing 1.7 billion Nm³ of biogas, which has not been achieved. Factors that could influence the development of this energy source were identified based on a register of agricultural biogas producers from the National Agriculture Support Center and data from the Energy Regulatory Office. These factors are technology, substrates, state energy policy, profitability, population density in the commune and the spatial arrangement of the commune resulting from spatial development plans. A pairwise comparison analysis using the DEMATEL method was conducted for these factors. It allowed us to conclude that they are population density and the lack of local spatial development plans in most rural areas. The situation may be improved by the obligation to develop such plans for the entire area of each commune and by locating biogas plants near livestock farms and agri-food processing plants. The selected DEMATEL method is mature and comprehensively verified. It enables research to be carried out in other contexts, taking into account the correlations between factors. It is a universal method, and after collecting expert opinions, research can be expanded. The obtained results of the analysis will allow for further research by collecting the opinions of experts such as biogas plant users, local communities, local government officials and other stakeholders. In addition, further analysis of key factors will be carried out using the DEMATEL method for several scenarios. The PESTEL method will be used to identify key factors.

In Poland, mixed municipal waste, municipal sewage and agricultural waste are used to produce biogas. Biodegradable green waste and kitchen waste generated in households are not used for this purpose. In the cogeneration process, the produced biogas is burned in a gas generator, resulting in electricity and heat. Electricity is sold in its entirety to the energy operator, but there are no heat consumers. The solution may be the construction of municipal biogas plants in urban areas, using kitchen and green biowaste from households located in cities and surrounding municipalities. Thanks to this location, the surplus heat can be used by the local district heating network to heat the buildings in the city. The aim of the article is to assess the possibilities of producing biogas and energy from municipal bio-waste generated in households in Krakow and surrounding communes. To achieve the goal, a simulation was carried out for a biogas plant with a capacity of 1 MW. Two types of substrates were used as inputs, i.e., biowaste from households and green biowaste. The data for analysis came from the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolskie Voivodeship, to which municipalities submit reports on the amount of municipal waste collected, and the Central Statistical Office, which has data on municipal waste collected in municipalities in Poland. The collected data were used to conduct five simulations. The most advantageous method is to produce biogas from kitchen waste and silage from green waste mixed in the appropriate C:N ratio. Assuming the optimal proportions of mixed substrates, a 1 MW biogas plant can produce 4.1 million m³ of biogas, from which electricity can be produced for 2.5 thousand houses and heat for 1.1 thousand houses. The article ends with conclusions and recommendations on how to collect biodegradable municipal waste, which should be treated as a valuable source of energy.

Biodegradable waste from households, companies, and gastronomy is not utilized in large Polish agglomerations for the production of biogas. Determining the biogas production potential in a selected agglomeration will enable the implementation of circular economy goals and sustainable development objectives. Once appropriate odor neutrality standards are met, biogas plants could be constructed around large cities, supplying both energy and heating systems to nearby housing estates or production facilities. This article aims to assess the potential of biodegradable municipal waste collected in a large city for the production of energy in specialized municipal biogas plants. The following analytical study focuses on Krakow and its surrounding municipalities. Because of its geographical location, Krakow is exposed to smog, and every action limiting the usage of carbon-based materials for heating will have a positive impact on the air quality. A biogas plant powered by municipal waste would present a viable opportunity to limit urban smog. It is also crucial that a biogas plant can store energy as it is equipped with methane tanks. Both renewable and other energy sources are still awaiting functional technical solutions that would allow for optimal energy storage.

In Poland, the potential for biogas production is high. important source of renewable energy and contributes to reducing the emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas. In this article, based on materials from the National Agricultural Advisory Centre (KOWR), literature, and statistical data, the implementation of the agrigas plant construction programme was evaluated in individual voivodeships. Based on the collected data, it was concluded that the most meaningful factors for the successful development of Polish agricultural biogas plants are biogas production technology, substrate availability, energy price from renewable energy sources, waste disposal costs, population density in the commune, and allocation of places in local spatial development plans (MPZP). DEMATEL technique was used to identify key development factors. The results of the study provide useful information for both government and local authorities in the search for effective ways to drive the sector's development.

Rational waste management is an essential element in the process of transition the linear economy into a circular model. Actions taken to achieve better results in this area are important for regional and local development as well as for the implementation of sustainable development goals. The article presents the requirements and rules for the functioning of waste management in Poland. Taking into account the structure of the system, the functioning of waste management in the Municipality of Krakow was analyzed. Particular attention was paid to the problem of municipal waste segregation by the inhabitants of Krakow. As part of own research, surveys were conducted among the employees of Municipal Cleaning Company LLC (Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Oczyszczania w Krakowie Sp. z o.o.), which showed the scale of the deficiencies. The results of the research were helpful in proposing actions to increase the effectiveness of the waste segregation system in Krakow.

The article assesses the energy potential of biodegradable municipal waste in the Krakow Metropolitan Area, analyzing the feasibility of using derived biomethane for residential heating by 2050. Framed within the circular economy and the European Green Deal, the study highlights a significant technological gap in Poland, contrasting it with successful models in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Empirical data from 2023–2024 indicate that kitchen waste (code 20 01 08) is an optimal feedstock for methane fermentation due to its stable annual flow, whereas green waste (code 20 02 01) presents challenges due to high seasonality. Simulation modeling suggests that annual biomethane production from kitchen waste could range from approximately 1.23 million m³ (Variant 3) to over 1.42 million m³ (Variant 4). A key finding is the synergy between waste-to-energy transformation and building thermal modernization. By reducing energy demand, the consistent volume of kitchen waste processed from 2024 could potentially supply heating for between 4928 and 8180 apartments by 2050. Ultimately, the research underscores the role of metropolitan integration in achieving sustainable development goals, enhancing regional energy security, and reducing emissions.