Another Polish city creates an air-purifying mural

Zabrze has its first eco wall painting

Polish cities have been making bold attempts to fight against air pollution. One way has been gaining momentum in Poland – the eco murals. As pleasing to the eye as they are environmentally friendly, these artworks can be seen in more and more places. The Silesian city of Zabrze is the latest to get one.

Street art with an impactful message

Earlier this week, authorities of Zabrze unveiled the first eco mural in the city. Located on a residential building on Wallek-Walewskiego Street in the city centre, it shows the image of one of the fathers of Polish independence, Wojciech Korfanty. But the mural was not just meant to honour his deeds, but to resolve contemporary challenges such as air pollution.

For its creation, a special anti-smog paint was used, that can reduce 0.44 g of nitrogen oxides per m3, a bit more than a medium-sized tree neutralises daily. Hence, with its 126 square metres, the mural is expected to purify 11,340,000 m3 of air within a month. Furthermore, the paint reduces formaldehyde and prevents the growth of bacteria and mould on the coating.

“Big cities are struggling today with civilization challenges, including polluted air. The anti-smog paints used for the mural are called smog eaters. By implementing such projects, we want to show that modern is also close to nature”, said Wojciech Ignacok, CEO of TAURON Polska Energia, a partner of the city authorities in the project. Małgorzata Mańka-Szulik, Mayor of Zabrze quoted on the city website called such activities “modern patriotism”.

Vice-president Katarzyna Dzióba also emphasized that many pro-ecological activities are in place in Zabrze. For example, residents of single-family houses can count on co-financing for the replacement of coal-burning boilers, and tenants of municipal flats are offered rent reductions against investments in ecological heat sources.

The city also receives funds for thermal modernization and changing the method of heating public utility buildings. “I hope that this mural will serve as a reminder and an incentive for residents to take action to improve air quality,” she said on the occasion.

According to the author of the project Paweł Lisowski, from EcoEvolution.org, nanotechnologies can significantly improve the quality of life in city centres, which suffer from smog in winter and are overheated by heatwaves in summer. He, therefore, encouraged citizens and authorities to use innovative technologies in solving long-standing problems.

More on this topic:

Air cleaning mural with a message pops up in Katowice ahead of World Urban Forum

An ecological mural reduces air pollution in Bielsko-Biała