Separate Waste Collection Research Articles

Circular Economy: A Network Analysis of the Solid Waste Collection in the City of Rome (Italy)

Solid waste management represents a complex issue involving political, socioeconomic, institutional, urbanistic and environmental aspects. Separate collection of waste in the Municipality of Rome is a matter of particular interest due to the size of the city (with an urban area of 1,287 km²) and the considerable amount of waste produced (approximately 1,690,000 tons/year). In this context, this paper proposes an in-depth analysis with the aim of optimizing the delivery of waste to collection centres. The optimization focuses on several key elements, including the strategic distribution of collection centres within the city to make them easily accessible, particularly in densely populated areas or where waste production is higher. Based on the data provided by the Municipality of Rome, the waste materials that should be advantageously recycled as part of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have also been identified. This comprehensive approach can improve the city’s waste management system, promoting the efficient use of resources and reducing environmental impact for greater urban sustainability.

Tax incentives and environmental performance: The pay-as-you-throw policy in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

This study investigates the impact of implementing the pay-as-you-throw policy as a fiscal incentive mechanism for municipal waste management across municipalities in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. Utilizing panel data from 2010 to 2022 and employing a synthetic control with staggered treatment adoption, we evaluate the policy's effects on environmental and local public finance performances. Our findings reveal that treated municipalities witness an average 10% increase in separate waste collection alongside a parallel reduction in municipal waste production since the policy outset, equating to approximately 60 kg per capita annually. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the policy enables local governments to reduce current energy and environmental expenditures by roughly €130 per capita annually in our optimal model. Notably, results hold robust across three recently developed estimators using difference-in-differences with staggered treatment adoption over time. The policy proves overall effectiveness in promoting circularity within municipal waste management systems, leading to better environmental performances, and decreased environmental management expenses. These implications underscore the potential value for local governments to adopt similar strategies where not yet envisaged.

Assessing the readiness of Greek municipalities to manage bioplastics in municipal waste management streams

Each year citizens of the European Union (EU) generate 2.5 billion tonnes of waste; equating to five tonnes of waste per person per year. To ensure optimal material recovery, and to support the move towards a circular economy, proper separate collection of waste is necessary. The current trend of increasing collection rates, encouraged by EU legislation, is promising; however, progress is uneven both across and within EU member states. While European and national targets provide the overarching driver for better waste collection, regional and local implementation is crucial for achieving continued progress. Therefore, it is vital to consider the disparity among the different EU countries when introducing new materials, such as bioplastics (bio-based and/or biodegradable plastics), into current national waste management streams, and any new introductions should be carefully evaluated before further actions are recommended by local authorities. As a member state that is heavily reliant on tourism, proper solid waste management is of vital importance in Greece, especially during the peak summer season. Considering the rapid expansion of bioplastics in the European market, it is important to assess the readiness of municipalities in Greece to manage this new category of solid waste. Data collected from 51 Greek municipalities via questionnaire (distributed to public authorities or waste management companies) showed that the current situation and capacities for adapting waste management streams to process bio-based and/or biodegradable plastics is still limited in Greece. Therefore, the readiness of Greece to process an increasing proportion of bioplastics within the waste stream (using the current waste management systems) is very low, as a result, such innovative materials are currently seen more as a problem than a ready-to-implement solution.

Assessment on the awareness and attitude about waste recycling in three Vietnamese universities in the framework of GREENUS project

Abstract GREEN waste management new edUcation System for recycling and environmental protection in Asia (GREENUS) is a project funded by the European Union to develop the technical capabilities of the younger generations in the waste management sector in Vietnam, enhancing the fundamental role of universities. As a part of the GREENUS project, this study aims to investigate the level of awareness and attitude of the Vietnamese universities about waste recycling and the impact of the project activities. Data were gathered from a questionnaire, which was distributed to three universities in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Can Tho University, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology) for three months in 2023. Descriptive statistics and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis were used to analyze the data. The results show that Professors/lecturers as well as older people have higher level of awareness and appear more inclined to engage in waste separation. In addition, females express more willingness to participate in the separate collection of waste for recycling than males. Regarding small electronic devices, the majority replace their mobile phones within three to five years due to damage, while laptops tend to have a longer lifespan, often exceeding five years. Furthermore, the majority of respondents (over 70%) find the GREENUS initiative effective in enhancing their awareness of the importance of proper waste management. They believe that the initiative is valuable since it simply explains why appropriate waste management is everyone responsibility, provides new knowledge on waste management techniques and inspires/motivates people to handle waste correctly. The study can represent a good source of references for suggesting practical policies that spread a new recycling culture, promoting the use of innovative waste collection and recycling systems in the Universities.

Управління відходами упаковки: європейські стандарти та законодавство України

The article is devoted to the study of the current state and prospects of implementation into national legislation of the normative provisions of the European Union in the field of waste management, in particular the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council “On packaging and packaging waste” (1994, December 20) No. 94/62/EU. Ukraine undertook to implement a number of Directives in the field of waste management. After the enactment of the Law of Ukraine “On Waste Management”, which takes into account European approaches based, in particular, on the provisions of the Framework Directive of the European Parliament and the Council No. 2008/98/EU of November 19, 2008 “On Waste and Repeal of Certain Directives”, a draft law on packaging and packaging waste has been developed. This draft law is aimed at determining the legal, economic and organizational principles in the field of handling packaging and packaging waste. The main European approaches involve significantly reducing packaging waste, adopting mandatory re-use targets, limiting unnecessary packaging and minimizing packaging, restricting certain types of packaging and using reusable packaging etc. Compliance with European standards in the field of packaging and packaging waste management means not only the adoption of a special law, but also the implementation of an effective mechanism, tools that ensure the organization of the system for preventing the generation of packaging waste, their processing and reuse. Packaging waste management is an important and complex area of waste management that requires the implementation of various measures, including development of infrastructure for separate collection of packaging waste, carrying out information and educational campaigns to raise public awareness of handling packaging waste, implementation of scientific research work in the field of progressive technologies of processing and production of products from secondary raw materials, introduction of a system of obligations and incentives for business entities and citizens that contribute to the prevention and minimization of packaging waste generation, prosecution for violations of packaging waste management rules.

Quantification of Lost Resource Potential of Unsorted Textile Waste

The European Union (EU) requirements for the separate collection of textile waste came into force in Latvia in 2023. As part of the measure, containers for the management of separated textile waste were placed in locations accessible to the public, alongside other types of separately collected waste (e.g., glass, plastic and cardboard). The containers were designed to collect textile waste that met the following requirements:Shoes and clothes must be clean, dry, and free of chemicals, motor oil stains and mold.Free from damage (holes, tears, etc.);Soft toys, fabric scraps and rags, shoes that are no longer a pair or are damaged, torn or have holes, as well as home textiles, are not allowed to be stored in containers.This means that the national textile waste collection system is limited only to textiles that can be reused without additional repair or pre-treatment (e.g., washing), and the developed national textile waste collection system supplements the private initiatives existing through clothing donation points and second-hand shops. However, there is a “shadow” zone related to textile waste that do not meet the above mentioned collection requirements and are not specifically regulated and managed so far at a country level, thus have to be collected in unsorted household waste containers.The objective of the present research is to quantify the amount of textile waste collected from unsorted mixed household waste containers and to quantify the physical condition and fibers of this waste. Subsequently, the environmental impact of the lost resource potential of the unsorted textile waste based on the obtained quantitative and qualitative waste data was defined via life cycle indicators.

Biodegradable Waste Management in Georgia: Problems of the Composting System Introduction

Biodegradable waste management and, in particular, the introduction and implementation of composting systems are among the major problems for Georgia. An increase in the volume of municipal waste has been recorded in the country; therefore, the volume of generated biodegradable waste is also increasing. In accordance with the National Waste Management Strategy 2016-2030 of Georgia, the municipal waste generated in 2021 amounted to 1,104,952 tons. It is worth noting that the largest part of municipal waste is organic waste - 54.7%, while plastic waste is 13.8%, paper and cardboard - 10.6%, textiles - 4.1%, and other wastes. According to various studies, by 2030, waste generation is expected to increase from 0.6% to 1.2% annually, which should be the cause of significant challenges for national and local authorities, especially local municipalities, whose duties include municipal waste collection and transportation as well as the implementation of separate waste collection systems. Biodegradable waste management, including various composting systems, is of particular importance.The study shows that composting, as one of the best approaches for recycling biodegradable waste, is still not properly developed in Georgia. It is possible to name only a few successful experiences. Noteworthy among them is the Kutaisi Composting Center, which was established within the framework of the EU JOP “Black Sea Basin” in Kutaisi, Georgia. The Composting Center is designed for windrow composting of green waste (tree branches, leaves, grass). Its productivity is 2000 tons of compost annually. This Composting Center is one of the first in Georgia. It can bring very tangible benefits. In particular, the amount of municipal waste going to landfill sites was reduced by approximately 10%; the expenditures of the municipalities connected to the maintenance of green facilities (received compost is used) and so on have been reduced.Among the biodegradable waste composting approaches, it is recommended to use systems such as:Centralized composting,Community composting,Home (individual) composting.A centralized composting method can be used in municipalities where a large amount of biodegradable waste is generated. It is especially favorable in regions where the agricultural sector is developed and large amounts of green waste are generated. The Kutaisi Composting Center is a good example of the centralized composting system. As experience shows, such large-scale composting is particularly effective for green waste composting.It is promising for Georgia to introduce community composting approaches that offer an optimal scheme for communities to get the maximum benefits of their potential.Composting is an approach used in the field of biodegradable waste management that has the greatest potential in Georgia and can make a significant contribution to both economic development and the protection of the social and natural environment.

Algorithm for solving one of the tasks of the closed-loop economies – how to return municipal solid waste made of plastic to production

The article deals with the analysis of data published by the Federal Service for State Statistics (Rosstat) regarding the whole Russia and regarding Moscow and presented in the form of the federal statistical observation No. 2-TP (waste) “Information on the formation, processing, utilization, neutralization, disposal of waste production and consumption”. The results of the analysis of the data adduced in the Rosstat report show that the situation with the separate waste collection, its processing and sorting for further utilization including recycling cannot be called satisfactory in Russia and its capital city. The author chooses Moscow to study the reasons and improve the situation. This is caused by the fact that the Rosstat data depict the average picture for the country as the nature conditions, the specificities of the people’s habitation and, consequently, the state of management of solid municipal waste in different regions of the country vary greatly and depend on the peculiar feature of each region. The author of the article studies the ways of solving the existing in the capital city problems connected with the need for improving the situation in the management of municipal solid waste. The most difficult segment from the viewpoint of growing volumes of waste disposal is non-rotting solid municipal waste, plastics, which are classified into two categories: recyclable and non-recyclable plastic waste. This segment has been chosen for the author’s study. Within the recyclable category the polyethylene packaging (PET containers) is identified as the most voluminous when collecting waste and as quite suitable for recycling among plastic solid municipal waste. The author calculates the proportion of PET containers in the generated municipal solid waste, indicates economic and environmental efficiency of packaging recycling and its return to production, and suggests optimal ways of collecting and delivering waste for recycling. The results obtained during the study has become the basis for developing the algorithm for the return to the production of municipal solid waste in PET containers.

СНИЖЕНИЕ РИСКОВ И УГРОЗ ТЕХНОГЕННОЙ ОПАСНОСТИ, ВЫЗВАННОЙ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕМ ОПАСНЫХ ОТХОДОВ ПРИ ДЕМОНТАЖЕ ОБЪЕКТОВ НЕДВИЖИМОСТИ

Due to the increasing pace of renovation, the volume of work on the demolition of real estate objects is increasing. In the process of dismantling structures, there are threats and risks of environmental hazards caused by the man-made impact of the dismantling processes. A significant technospheric danger is the formation of toxic waste. Based on a systematic analysis of demolition methods and technologies, the paper proposes an organizational and technical scheme for the separate collection and accumulation of waste from dismantled objects, based on the principles of resource conservation, reuse of waste resource components, ensuring the prevention of environmental hazards in the sources of its formation.

Factors to consider for the implementation of a municipal scheme for the separate collection of textile waste

The textile industry is one of the largest worldwide and also one responsible for important environmental impacts. In this context, it is mandatory for European Member States to implement municipal schemes for the separate collection of textile waste by January 2025. The municipality of Cascais, in Portugal, was selected as a case study to determine the factors to consider when implementing it. A field survey was carried out to validate the existing collection points (CP) for used clothing, showing that 0.98 CP are available per km2, with 1 CP per 2,254 residents. In addition, interviews with stakeholders demonstrated that: cooperation between entities is missing, although charities have been working in the field for several years with good results; there is the absence of data about the amount of used clothing collected; and less than 50% of used clothing collected is suitable for reuse. Furthermore, a questionnaire was submitted to the residents, separating the sample into frequent users and non-users or infrequent users of CP. The results show that residents, predominantly, suggest that more equipment must be made available. Also, awareness campaigns ought to focus on clarifying uncertainties about the waste collection services, in general, and for the separate collection of textile waste, particularly, because doubts persist. Neither group is entirely sure about the destination of the used clothes donated and, in this case, it is important to reinforce information leading to confidence in its use, to avoid, for instance, households storing unused clothes, hindering their reuse.

Analysis of factors influencing participation in the separate collection of waste cooking oil

In recent years, the recycling of waste cooking oil (WCO) into biodiesel has gained worldwide attention. Recycling WCO into biodiesel has great significance because it not only reduces waste, but also curbs the use of fossil fuels. Here, we aim at suggesting measures to increase the number of people who participate in the separate collection of WCO. To this end, we analyzed the effects of differences in the awareness of the facts that the respective municipality collects WCO and that the collected WCO is utilized within the municipality on participation in WCO collection. We targeted 4,160 households in Japan that fry their own food at home in areas with different collection methods. The results indicated that more people participated in the collection of WCO in areas where station collection was used than in areas where base collection was used. In addition, regardless of whether the collection method of WCO was station or base collection, participants were more likely to participate in the collection of WCO in the order in which they were aware of the following information: (1) that their municipality collects WCO and utilizes the collected WCO, (2) that their municipality collects WCO, and (3) that the collected WCO is utilized within the municipality. This phenomenon was more pronounced in areas where WCO was collected in stations. Because the collection method is important to increase the participation rate in separate collection of waste, reviewing the collection methods and conducting awareness-raising activities for separate collection of waste is necessary.

“O.R. GOES GREEN”: a first step toward reducing our carbon footprint in the operating room and hospital

Hospitals in Europe produce approximately 6 million tons of medical waste annually, about one-third of this originating in operating rooms. Most of it is solid waste, which can be recycled if bodily fluids do not contaminate it. Only 2–3% of hospital waste must be disposed of as infectious waste, and this is much lower than the 50–70% of garbage in the biohazard waste stream. In June 2021, at the main operating room of the Department of General Surgery of the University of Turin, we began a separate collection program for materials consisting of plastic, paper, TNT (material not contaminated by bodily fluids), and biohazardous waste. We calculated the number of boxes and the weight of special waste disposed produced every month in one operating room for 18 months. The monthly number of Sanibox and the monthly weight of biohazardous waste decreased during the observation period. The reduction trend was not constant but showed variations during the 18 months. Direct proportionality between number of low-complexity procedures and production of biohazardous waste was found (p = 0.050). We observed an optimization in the collection and filling of plastic, paper and TNT boxes separated and sent for recycling. One of the barriers to recycling hospital waste, and surgical waste in particular, is the failure to separate infectious waste from clean waste. A careful separate collection of waste in the operating room is the first step in reducing environmental pollution and management costs for the disposal of hospital waste.

Erfahrungswerte im Praxiseinsatz von Vorsammelhilfen in der getrennten Bioabfallsammlung mit Fokus auf Tirol

ZusammenfassungDie getrennte Sammlung von Bioabfall ist wichtig für Umweltschutz und Ressourcenschonung und trägt zu verschiedenen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) bei. Die Verwendung biologisch abbaubarer Vorsammelhilfen, besonders aus Kunststoff, in den Haushalten kann zur Mengensteigerung von getrennt gesammelten Bioabfall beitragen, allerdings ebenso verschiedene Herausforderungen in der Bioabfallbehandlung und -verwertung verursachen. Die Vielfalt von Logos für Vorsammelhilfen erschwert die Handhabung, ein einheitliches Logo mit klaren Qualitätskriterien wäre sinnvoll. Papierbeutel könnten aufgrund der besseren Abbaubarkeit und höheren Methanerträge umweltfreundlichere Alternativen zu Vorsammelhilfen aus Biokunststoff darstellen. Forschungsbedarf besteht bei der Analyse von Mikroplastikpartikeln im Bioabfall, um langfristige Umweltauswirkungen zu verstehen. Die Wirksamkeit der Bioabfallsammlung könnte durch alternative Materialien (z. B. Papierbeutel) und Verbraucheraufklärung gesteigert werden.

Composition of public waste - a case study from Austria

Waste from public places like parks, pedestrian zones or sidewalks is a visible yet unexploited waste stream. Publications and information on the amounts and makeup of this waste flow are very scarce. To evaluate the resource potential and enable waste management planning, this study aims to assess the quality and quantity of public waste in a detailed waste characterisation campaign. For the first time, an analysis at this level of detail was conducted in a medium-sized town (25,000 inhabitants) in Austria. The sampling campaign included the whole town area. In total, almost 1000 kg of waste was sorted in up to 88 different fractions, which allows the detailed composition of, for example, packaging waste and single-use plastics to be delineated. We found that the amount of waste collected in public street bins is approximately 2.6 % of the total mixed municipal solid waste, resulting in 4.1 kg of public waste per inhabitant annually. The vast majority of this waste is currently collected as mixed waste. The results indicate a high share (52 %) of recyclable materials (glass, metal, paper and lightweight packaging) in mixed public waste, most of which is packaging (44 % of total waste). Other large shares include dog feces (18 % of total waste) and biogenic waste (17 % of total waste). The results lay the foundation for further investigations into, for example, exploiting recycling potential or evaluating possible improvements in separate waste collection in public spaces. Further, the collected data serve as an essential knowledge basis for policymakers and local authorities.

Comparison of Mixed and Door-to-Door Systems for Urban Waste Collection in Terms of Effectiveness and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study from Two Mountainous Italian Valleys

Collecting urban solid waste (USW) is a critical and essential phase for proper waste management and valorization. To date, many data are available for large cities, but few studies have focused on low-density areas, such as mountainous regions. Considering this lack in the literature, this study aimed to compare two separate waste collection systems in two mountainous valleys in terms of effectiveness and GHG emissions. In the first scenario, a mixed collection system (door-to-door + centers) was used, while in the other, waste was separately collected by a full door-to-door system. The results suggested that the full door-to-door system achieved better performance than the mixed collection system (door-to-door + centers), with a fraction of separate waste collection compared to the unit equals (0.84 ± 0.01 vs. 0.79 ± 0.02). Moreover, the full door-to-door system represented the best option for collecting separate waste in mountainous areas in terms of GHG emissions, with 11.21 kgCO2, eq twaste−1 emitted vs. 15.62 kgCO2, eq twaste−1 in the case of the mixed system. Despite utilities emitting a higher amount of GHGs in the door-to-door scenario (4.66 kgCO2, eq inh−1 y−1), they were fully compensated for by the low GHG emissions from citizens in the mixed scenario (1.77 kgCO2, eq inh−1 y−1 vs. 6.65 kgCO2, eq inh−1 y−1). Given the low amount of data on this topic, this work could be considered as a pioneer study of waste management in mountainous areas by comparing the results of two systems regarding effectiveness and GHG emissions. The outcomes of this study could be helpful for waste utilities, institutional agencies, and local communities and also serve as a tool for decision-making in the case of comparing the different options for USW collection systems.

Ecological literacy of one of the competencies of a 21 century citizen

The current environmental situation requires a certain amount of knowledge of ecology in an individual regardless of their professional sphere as this information becomes an integral part of both professional and personal day-to-day life. The state of ecology requires help and support from humanity. Therefore, ecological literacy becomes one of the most demanded competencies for a person living in the 21 century. This concept is closely connected to ecological culture and ecological awareness and utilizes the psychological willingness of a modern person to behave according to concepts of ecological literacy. The knowledge of ecology positively affects waste management and reduces risks for nature posed by waste pollution and human activities. Therefore, the conducted research aims to examine the ecological literacy rate in the population of Russia overall and particularly concerning the issues of separate waste collection. The authors identify the reasons for reluctance to perform separate waste collection and suggest measures to stimulate it in the Russian Federation. The paper provides a review of a range of sociological surveys dedicated to separate waste collection and the state of the environment in Russia. The authors suggest a range of possible solutions for the issue at hand.

НА ПУТИ К ЭКОНОМИКЕ ЗАМКНУТОГО ЦИКЛА: ПОДХОДЫ К ПОЛИТИКЕ СНИЖЕНИЯ РИСКОВ ЗАГРЯЗНЕНИЯ ПЛАСТИКОВЫМИ ОТХОДАМИ

The increasing volumes of production and use of plastic, and its resistance to natural decomposition, pose significant risks to the environment. In these conditions, an urgent task is to study tools and mechanisms to reduce these risks. The article provides an overview of foreign and domestic practices to reduce the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment. The main policy directions for reducing the risks of plastic pollution are highlighted: encouraging replacement with more environmentally friendly analogues (bioplastic and biodegradable plastic); complete or partial ban on the use of single-use plastic; encouraging plastic recycling (extended producer responsibility, separate waste collection). The socio-economic problems that arise during the implementation of the policy are especially noted, and recommendations are proposed to minimize the negative impact on the population and the economic system. The need to develop an integrated approach to policy development, a “just transition”, by promoting broad stakeholder involvement in decision-making processes is emphasized. During the study, methods of comparative analysis, systematization and generalization were used. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the materials of international and governmental organizations, and the works of specialists in the field of waste management.

Analyzing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of Plastic Waste Management in Cameroon

Over the years, there has been an increase in the production and consumption of plastic materials, basically due to population growth and urbanization. This has resulted in a plastic pollution crisis worldwide, especially in developing countries. In addressing this plastic pollution problem, a number of studies have so far been carried out in line with plastic waste management. However, very few studies, especially in Cameroon, have been published on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of plastic waste management systems. This study conducted a comprehensive SWOT analysis with the purpose of providing understanding into the current plastic waste management (PWM) situation in Cameroon, and to propose enhancement strategies. The data used for the analysis were obtained from a number of sources including government reports, relevant regulations, and policies, peered-reviewed literature, and questionnaires. The study revealed key strengths and opportunities which included available policies, the presence of recycling companies, circular economy potential, and research institutions as well as weaknesses and threats such as ineffective enforcement and implementation policies, absence of a separate collection system, inadequate waste management infrastructure, inadequate financial and technical capacity, the countries geographical position, lack of public interest and participation and population growth and urbanization. Based on the SWOT analysis, a number of strategies were proposed, that is, promulgate policies and ensure strict implementation, set up separate plastic waste collection systems and adopt a national circular economy action plan for plastics. These would be useful in enhancing the current PWM system in Cameroon.

Impact of Implementing Circular Waste Management System and Energy Recovery in a City with 100,000 Inhabitants on Nitrogen Emissions by 2035

Recent years have observed a reconstruction of the waste management system from a linear resource flow economy to a circular economy. This approach is reflected in the provisions of the Waste Framework Directive (2018), which introduces, among others, new recycling targets for municipal waste which require, by 2025, 55% of the municipal waste to be recycled, in 2030—60%, and in 2035—65%. The ambitious targets adopted for preparing for the reuse and recycling of municipal waste will not be achieved without a high level of the recycling of bio-waste. This paper studies the quantification of municipal waste and nitrogen in a circular municipal waste management system (MWM) implemented for a city of 100,000. It was assumed that MWM would meet the requirements in terms of EU and Polish circular waste management goal legislation for the years 2025, 2030 and 2035. The research results showed that the development of a separate waste collection will reduce the waste delivered to MBT. The required MBT capacity will decrease by almost 2.4 times. Moreover, it has been shown that the introduction of a closed-loop MWM will result in an almost two-fold reduction in the amount of nitrogen going to the landfill and an increase in the mass of nitrogen that can be used to fertilize the soil (by approximately 22%). Furthermore, it has been shown that the most favorable option for an organic waste treatment is the anaerobic–aerobic process. This solution provides the highest biogas production and the lowest nitrogen gas emissions to air.

Quantitative Analysis of Household Food Waste Collection in Warsaw: Assessing Efficiency and Waste Minimization

Food waste management is one of the key challenges of the circular economy and climate transition policies. The proper collection of food waste is the starting point for its further value recovery. Most of the quantitative and qualitative data used to measure the scale of food waste in households and its collection are based on statistical data, diaries, and questionnaires. There is a visible gap in research in terms of the use of direct research methods. This paper presents the results of a quantitative research study on household food waste accumulation and collection in Warsaw from two sources: single-family and multi-family households. The results of the study indicate that in Warsaw households, one can expect generation at the level of 33.4 kg·capita−1·year−1 of avoidable food waste and 38.2 kg·capita−1·year−1 of unavoidable food waste. The average food waste collection rate from households in Warsaw was determined to be at a level of 19.6 kg·capita−1·year−1. In multi-family buildings, which are dominant in Warsaw, this rate is half as pronounced (17.3 kg·capita−1·year−1) compared to single-family buildings (36.2 kg·capita−1·year−1). The average food waste collection efficiency rate from Warsaw households was at a level of 32%. Avoidable food waste accounted for 47% of all food waste generated. The study indicates a growing need to develop policy tools to support the separate collection and prevention of food waste.