POSSIBILITIES OF USING DIDACTIC AIDS IN THE SUBJECT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

According to the OECD (2010), education in developed countries is a priority and the basis of economic growth, on which the well-being of the state also depends. Education reduces unemployment and increases employment in the labor market. It leads to a higher quality of life and reduces criminal activity. Education is the main source of maintaining the competitiveness of the whole society and the main factor is the achievement of prosperity not only for economic but also for social justice. Education brings independence and social stability. The number of young people who want to achieve higher education and thus obtain a degree for these very reasons is constantly increasing. In proportion to the development of science and technology, the demands on schools also increase, and therefore it is necessary to emphasize not only the content, but also the structure, process and methods of teaching. From the point of view of practice, the amount of knowledge and its passive reproduction is not important, but the understanding of the basic principles of individual scientific fields, the ability to combine knowledge, create logical links and conclusions, and creatively approach the solution of specified tasks. The submitted contribution is focused on the creation and implementation of the subject "Green Infrastructure" in the study programs of the field of Landscape Engineering. Green infrastructure is a complex system of natural territories that include terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, elements and areas and systems of greenery in the settlement and in the country. Its importance results from the sustainable use of natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides for society. It is a multifunctional and durable system that offers a range of nature-based solutions to current problems and needs, for example in the fight against climate change and its consequences. Green infrastructure is a well-established concept in European strategies and policies. This article defines green infrastructure from the perspective of landscape planning and landscape architecture. The article deals with green infrastructure in the European Union in terms of the EU Strategy for Green Infrastructure and from the perspective of Natura 2000 and EU policies in the field of regional development, climate change and water management. This article examines the interactions between the concept of green infrastructure, the common agricultural policy and the new forestry strategy. This topic is new and has not yet been systematically implemented in the disciplines taught in the field of study Landscape Engineering

STRATEGIES AND METHODS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT\u27S MOTIVATION

The submitted contribution examines the use of methods of developing students\u27 motivation in the educational process at FHLE SUA in Nitra. Its aim was on the basis of educational research to identify and to compare the opinions of teachers and students on use and their importance in the educational process. The basic package included students of study program Landscape Engineering and teachers, who are providing education of core of this program. Teachers and students confirmed in the survey that they are being used to teach various methods of developing motivation. Significant differences between opinions of teachers and students were seen on the utilization of application examples from a practice and on a degree of attractiveness of lectures and exercises. Most students are hard up for praise and feel a primacy of the teachers. Based on the analysis of the survey results, we formulated advices to enhance their motivation, which should lead to improve of achievements

EDUCATION IN SLOVAKIA IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Education in Slovakia, focused on environmental education with an emphasis on green infrastructure, is a manifestation of our lifestyle and way of existence. It is a reflection of our emphasis on values and morals. Training and education in this area lag far behind current needs. A citizen should be civilized enough to know what is suitable for the environment. Basic environmental knowledge of 21st century knowledge and environmental behavior is developed in relation to existing European countries

Phytotoxicity Testing of Composts from Biodegradable Municipal Waste

The production of compost from biodegradable municipal waste is important not only for reducing the amount of landfilled waste. The compost produced with the right technology can replenish the missing organic matter in the soil and improve its properties. This paper deals with the evaluation of the phytotoxicity of composts from garden and kitchen biodegradable wastes. Their effect on plant germination and overall plant condition under laboratory conditions was investigated. The samples of compost from the industrial composting plant of the city of Nitra and compost from the electric composter GG02 were used for this test. The tested composts were mixed with the reference substrate in different concentrations and applied to two plant species – Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare). After 21 days, the number of germinated plants (i.e. germination rate), the length of the aerial part of the plants, the weight of fresh biomass and also its weight after drying were evaluated. The highest lettuce germination rate was obtained with 25% of the compost from the industrial composting plant. Barley achieved the best germination rate at up to 50% concentration of this compost. However, the highest biomass weight was obtained for the barley in the reference sample, i.e. without the addition of compost. In contrast, the application of compost from the industrial composting plant on lettuce, regardless of its concentration, had a clear stimulating effect, in all the parameters studied. The compost from the electric composter at concentrations of 25 and 50% had an inhibitory effect on all tested parameters of both plants

Streamlining the Municipal Waste Management System in the City of Nitra (Slovak Republic) Based on a Public Survey

The main problems of the city of Nitra (Slovak Republic) in the field of municipal waste management include: 1. High production of municipal waste per capita; 2. Low rate of its separation; 3. High landfill rate; 4. No opportunity for composting; 5. Establishment of illegal landfills in the city; 6. Low waste prevention rate. To identify the attitudes and opinions of the respondents, and to evaluate certain behavioural practices of the inhabitants of Nitra in the management of municipal solid waste, we used a structured questionnaire (realized in 2020). The results of the questionnaire correspond to the behaviour of 4911 inhabitants of the city (6.46%). This paper evaluates the respondents’ answers, which could be utilised by the local government—not only for a more appropriate setting of municipal waste management and separation, but also in waste prevention and monitoring changes in the consumer behaviour of city residents. The degree of separation in individual housing construction (IHC) and complex housing construction (CHC) was statistically evaluated and compared separately. For paper and glass, a higher degree of separation was reflected in CHC; while conversely, households living in CHC avoided bio-waste and kitchen waste more than IHC households. The most common reason for not participating in the separate collection was the lack of collection containers, the distance of containers from their households, or the low frequency of their collection. The results of the questionnaire show the need for more rigorous education about waste generation, its proper separation, and its prevention

Composition of the Separated Green Waste in Rural and Urban Area

The municipalities in Slovakia have a duty to separate biodegradable municipal waste (BDMW) from family houses. This duty can be achieved by home composting or by collection of green waste in bio-bins, which are regularly emptied by a collection company. The collected waste is recycled in a composting plant. The conducted research was focused on identifying the composition of the collected green waste and comparing the environmental behaviour of residents in villages and towns. The analyses conducted showed that the separated BDMW from the urban population has a higher rate of contamination, but a lower rate of compostable kitchen waste compared to the residents in villages

Decomposition of Single-use Products Made of Bioplastic under Real Conditions of Urban Composting Facility

According to Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019, single-use plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers will be banned in the member states of EU from summer 2021 onwards. Many of them are being replaced by compostable products. The aim of the research was to assess the biological disintegration of selected single-use products under real conditions of urban composting facility. All tested products are established for the Slovak market as 100% compostable by a composting facility. The eight selected products from five different producers were placed into a composting pile of the urban composting facility for 12 weeks. The samples were visually inspected on a regular basis. Temperature and humidity of the pile were continuously measured at the same time. Three samples from each kind of tested product were analyzed, 3 pieces of filter paper were used as the reference samples. The research showed that all tested products were completely or partially disintegrated during the considered period. The average degree of the disintegration of 90% was not reached for one producer only

PLA/PHB-based materials fully biodegradable under both industrial and home-composting conditions

In order to make bioplastics accessible for a wider spectrum of applications, ready-to-use plastic material formulations should be available with tailored properties. Ideally, these kinds of materials should also be "home-compostable" to simplify their organic recycling. Therefore, materials based on PLA (polylactid acid) and PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate) blends are presented which contain suitable additives, and some of them contain also thermoplastic starch as a filler, which decreases the price of the final compound. They are intended for various applications, as documented by products made out of them. The produced materials are fully biodegradable under industrial composting conditions. Surprisingly, some of the materials, even those which contain more PLA than PHB, are also fully biodegradable under home-composting conditions within a period of about six months. Experiments made under laboratory conditions were supported with data obtained from a kitchen waste pilot composter and from municipal composting plant experiments. Material properties, environmental conditions, and microbiology data were recorded during some of these experiments to document the biodegradation process and changes on the surface and inside the materials on a molecular level.IGA/FT/2022/006; Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja, APVV: 313011V336, APVV-20-0193, APVV-20-0256; European Regional Development Fund, ERDF: FCH-S-21-7553Internal Grant Agency [IGA/FT/2022/006]; Slovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-20-0256, APVV-20-0193]; European Regional Development Fund [313011V336]; Specific University Research Grant [FCH-S-21-7553

PLA/PHB-Based Materials Fully Biodegradable under Both Industrial and Home-Composting Conditions

In order to make bioplastics accessible for a wider spectrum of applications, ready-to-use plastic material formulations should be available with tailored properties. Ideally, these kinds of materials should also be "home-compostable" to simplify their organic recycling. Therefore, materials based on PLA (polylactid acid) and PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate) blends are presented which contain suitable additives, and some of them contain also thermoplastic starch as a filler, which decreases the price of the final compound. They are intended for various applications, as documented by products made out of them. The produced materials are fully biodegradable under industrial composting conditions. Surprisingly, some of the materials, even those which contain more PLA than PHB, are also fully biodegradable under home-composting conditions within a period of about six months. Experiments made under laboratory conditions were supported with data obtained from a kitchen waste pilot composter and from municipal composting plant experiments. Material properties, environmental conditions, and microbiology data were recorded during some of these experiments to document the biodegradation process and changes on the surface and inside the materials on a molecular level