Several candidates in Poland's recent elections are demonstrating a commitment to sustainability by repurposing their campaign banners for charitable endeavors. Some are donating these

banners to animal shelters to use as insulation, while others are transforming them into reusable bags. Additionally, a group of candidates is looking to send the banners to Ukraine to assist soldiers by sealing dugouts and repairing damaged roofs.

Throughout the campaign for the parliamentary elections held on October 15, campaign banners promoting various candidates covered the country, adorning fences and balconies. After the election, candidates are responsible for ensuring the removal of these banners within 30 days.

Even before the elections concluded, the Municipal Roads Authority (ZDM) in Warsaw encouraged all political parties and candidates to donate their banners to animal shelters, emphasizing that these banners could serve a more environmentally responsible purpose. ZDM's tweet suggested that instead of going to a landfill, the banners could provide essential insulation for shelters in preparation for the winter.

Łukasz Litewka, a candidate for The Left (Lewica) in Sosnowiec, had already committed to donating banners to shelters before the elections. Litewka gained attention for his banners, which featured not only his image but also images of dogs from a local shelter, accompanied by an "adopt me" plea. On a recent occasion, Litewka announced that 99% of his campaign banners had been collected. Some of these banners would be directed to shelters, while others would be repurposed into bags. These bags would then be auctioned, with the proceeds benefiting the shelters.

On the other end of the political spectrum, candidates from Sovereign Poland, a hard-right group aligned with the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, have also been contributing their banners to shelters. Robert Popkowski, a candidate in Konin, noted the challenges animals face during the winter and proposed that election banners, with their wind-resistant material, could be used to protect kennels or line animal cages.

While banners can offer insulation, they can also provide shade for animals during the summer. However, it is important to note that not all shelters require or accept these banners, so coordination is advisable.

Dariusz Matecki, a party colleague of Popkowski from Szczecin, suggested additional uses for the banners. In addition to donating to animal shelters, he proposed using the banners as covers for firewood or as liners for garden ponds.

Candidates from various political backgrounds, including Michał Gramatyka of the center-right Third Way (Trzecia Droga) and Aleksandra Wiśniewska of the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), have also committed to donating their banners to shelters. In some cases, Wiśniewska's banners are being repurposed into bags. Additionally, a sailing club in Tychy has expressed interest in obtaining these banners.

This year, a new initiative seeks to send the banners to Ukraine. The "Political banners save lives" (Baner polityczny ratuje życie) campaign aims to collect advertising banners for a humanitarian cause. Such banners can be used in Ukraine to seal roofs and walls in soldiers' dugouts, providing essential protection. Tomasz Szydlak, one of the organizers of this campaign, emphasized the transformation of banners from divisive campaign tools into valuable resources for safeguarding against environmental elements and supporting those in need. Photo by Agência Brasília, Wikimedia commons.