Temporal and geographical patterns of solid waste collected at recycling centres

Abstract

Citizens increasingly dispose their waste at household waste recycling centres (HWRC). To enhance the collection of recyclables materials, local authorities and waste management companies invest considerable resources in planning. While the planning of these centres requires a comprehensive understanding of collected solid waste, only limited studies have consistently investigated waste data from HWRC. To fill this knowledge gap, historical data for HWRC from the Greater Copenhagen, Central Zealand, Silkeborg and Djursland in Denmark were analysed with regards to temporal and geographical variation. The results showed the mass of collected waste varies seasonally; this trend was consistently seen during the period 2010–2016. Moreover, the data revealed that the total waste collected was principally driven by the number of visitors. The geometric bar plot and ternary plot depicted an increase in the percentage of recyclable materials, whereas the percentage of incinerated waste decreased during the period 2010–2016. The waste characterisation study indicated that about 7% of small miscellaneous combustible waste was brought in black plastic bag, although these bags were forbidden; the results suggest that the percentage of misplaced recyclable materials could considerably decrease if citizens bring their waste in clear plastic bags.