Abstract
Source separation is a common method for dealing with the increasing problem of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in society. The citizens are then responsible for separating waste fractions produced in their home. If the consumers fail to sort the waste according to the source separation scheme, it will lead to an ineffective system. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the environmental, economic and social aspects of incorrect waste sorting in a medium sized Swedish city that has established a source separation system. In order to determine the extent to which citizens correctly sort their waste, food waste (black bags) and combustible fraction (white bags), were collected randomly from a residential area and categorized in different waste fractions. The results show that approximately 68 wt% of the waste in the white and 29 wt% in the black bags were not sorted correctly. This incorrect sorting accrues over 13 million SEK per year cost for this community. In order to improve the inhabitants’ participation in the waste management system, it is necessary to change different factors such as convenience and easy access to the recycling stations in the local MSW management systems as well as to review current regulation and policy.
Highlights
Problems with household waste have increased over time, in parallel to the development of consumer society
During 2011, 4.3 million tons municipal solid waste were generated from households in Sweden, which implies about 460 kg per person per year [6]
A higher rate of source separation will increase the rate of recycling, which will result in efficient and economical treatments for waste incineration and biogas production as well as reduction in environmental impacts as a result of the waste [7,8]
Summary
Problems with household waste have increased over time, in parallel to the development of consumer society. Waste is generally increasing in quantity and variety This means depletion of the resources and environmental problems such as global warming if there is no sustainable way to manage this issue. A higher rate of source separation will increase the rate of recycling, which will result in efficient and economical treatments for waste incineration and biogas production as well as reduction in environmental impacts as a result of the waste [7,8]. To succeed in separation of household waste, inhabitants have to manage and separate waste in their homes where it is generated It is, important to have a consumer perspective when developing such a system
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
