The impact of alternate weekly collections on waste arisings

Interventions to promote household waste segregation: A systematic review

Waste segregation at source, particularly at the household level, is an integral component of sustainable solid waste management, which is a critical public health issue. Although multiple interventions have been published, often with contradictory findings, few authors have conducted a comprehensive systematic synthesis of the published literature. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review to synthesize all published interventions conducted in any country in the world which targeted household-level waste segregation with or without additional focus on recycling or composting. Following PRISMA guidelines, Web of Science, Medline, Global Health, and Google Scholar were searched using a search strategy created by combining the keywords 'Waste', 'Segregation', and 'Household'. Two-stage blinded screening and consensus-based conflict resolution were done, followed by quality assessment, data extraction, and narrative synthesis. 8555 articles were identified through the database searches and an additional 196 through grey literature and citation searching. After excluding 2229 duplicates and screening title abstracts of 6522 articles, 283 full texts were reviewed, and 78 publications reporting 82 intervention studies were included in the data synthesis. High methodological heterogeneity was seen, excluding the possibility of a meta-analysis. Most (n = 60) of the interventions were conducted in high-income countries. Interventions mainly focused on information provision. However, differences in the content of information communicated and mode of delivery have not been extensively studied. Finally, our review showed that the comparison of informational interventions with provision of incentives and infrastructural modifications needs to be explored in-depth. Future studies should address these gaps and, after conducting sufficient formative research, should aim to design their interventions following the principles of behaviour change.

Autonomous Motivation for the Successful Implementation of Waste Management Policy: An Examination Using an Adapted Institutional Analysis and Development Framework in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam

Increasing waste production is a serious problem for every country with substantial waste management initiatives. This challenge can be addressed by establishing waste reduction as a strategic policy. To this end, a project prioritizing community-based composting was implemented in Vietnam’s Thua Thien Hue province. The project mandated that the actors involved (i.e., local authorities, assistance groups, and residents) separate out organic waste for composting. To understand more fully how this policy could be implemented more successfully, first, the present study examined the links between local authorities’ support, groups providing assistance to residents during initiatives, and the project’s outcomes. Second, the research focused on the autonomous motivations influencing this project. These two points made our study novel. A case study design was applied based on self-determination theory and an adapted institutional analysis and development framework. Content analyses of qualitative and secondary data were conducted to examine the framework’s relevant components. Focusing on the psychological states approach, results showed that autonomous motivation was the main driver of waste separation and was activated by the local authorities’ autonomy support, deployed via an assistance group consisting of a waste collector and village leader, as well as other community attributes. These factors therefore affected the project’s outcomes. The research demonstrates the need to advocate local authorities’ autonomy support and residents’ autonomous motivation for waste separation.

Collection behaviour of lightweight packaging waste by individual households and implications for the analysis of collection schemes

The separate collection behaviour of 21 Dutch households was explored. Their lightweight packaging waste (LWP) and mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) was studied twice in detail. The derived net collection yields for plastic packages and beverage cartons were high (mostly between 80 and 100%). A detailed analysis revealed that several packaging types were almost completely separate collected by these households. This observation led to the hypothesis that several packaging types will always be completely separate collected by participating civilians. Five indicator items were chosen and their concentrations in mixed MSW and LWP were used to calculate the minimal participation rate (PR_min) for collection areas. This PR_min is an underestimation of the true participation rate since the population within a collection area will also contain non-ideal separating individuals. Analysis of 15 different municipalities with this new methodology revealed that the PR_min varied strongly from roughly 30% for a municipality with a drop-off collection scheme for only plastic packaging and no PAYT financial trigger to almost 90% for municipalities with a kerbside collection scheme for LWP and a PAYT financial trigger. Surprisingly, participating civilians in all collection schemes kept roughly the same share of desired plastic packages (DPP) separate (73 ± 11%) in all collection schemes. This share is derived from the PR_min and hence a slight over-estimation. The latter was named the maximum selection rate for desired plastic packages (SR_max^DPP). The PR_min and SR_max^DPP form the basis of a new set of technical performance indicators for separate collection schemes of LWP.

Post-consumer plastic packaging waste in England: Assessing the yield of multiple collection-recycling schemes

The European Commission (EC) recently introduced a 'Circular Economy Package', setting ambitious recycling targets and identifying waste plastics as a priority sector where major improvements are necessary. Here, the authors explain how different collection modalities affect the quantity and quality of recycling, using recent empirical data on household (HH) post-consumer plastic packaging waste (PCPP) collected for recycling in the devolved administration of England over the quarterly period July-September 2014. Three main collection schemes, as currently implemented in England, were taken into account: (i) kerbside collection (KS), (ii) household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) (also known as 'civic amenity sites'), and (iii) bring sites/banks (BSs). The results indicated that: (a) the contribution of KS collection scheme in recovering packaging plastics is higher than HWRCs and BBs, with respective percentages by weight (wt%) 90%, 9% and 1%; (b) alternate weekly collection (AWC) of plastic recyclables in wheeled bins, when collected commingled, demonstrated higher yield in KS collection; (c) only a small percentage (16%) of the total amount of post-consumer plastics collected in the examined period (141 kt) was finally sent to reprocessors (22 kt); (c) nearly a third of Local Authorities (LAs) reported insufficient or poor data; and (d) the most abundant fractions of plastics that finally reached the reprocessors were mixed plastic bottles and mixed plastics.

Explaining the differences in household food waste collection and treatment provisions between local authorities in England and Wales

Separate household food waste collection for anaerobic digestion is one method used in the sustainable management of biodegradable municipal solid waste (MSW). Recycling of food waste contributes to the UK's reuse, recycling and composting targets and can help local authorities boost plateauing rates whilst encouraging landfill diversion. This study explored the reasons for differences in the provision of food waste collections, using two comparable local authorities, one with a collection in Wales (Cardiff), and the other absent of such service in England (Southampton). A PESTLE analysis investigated the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental impacts of separate food waste collections. The greenhouse gas impacts of the collection and treatment systems of MSW in both cities were estimated for 2012/13. Results showed significant policy and legislative differences between devolved governments, that separate food waste collections can save local authorities significant sums of money and substantially reduce greenhouse gas impacts. A survey of one hundred respondents in each city aimed to understand attitudes and behaviours towards recycling, food waste segregation, cooking and purchasing habits. The number of frequent recyclers and levels of satisfaction were higher in the authority which provided a separate food waste collection. In the area which lacked a separate collection service, over three-quarters of respondents would participate in such a scheme if it were available.

A case study of packaging waste collection systems in Portugal - Part I: Performance and operation analysis

The need to increase packaging recycling rates has led to the study and analysis of recycling schemes from various perspectives, including technical, economic, social, and environmental. This paper is part one of a three-part study devoted to comparing two recyclable packaging waste collection systems operating in western Portugal: a mixed collection system, where curbside and drop-off collections are operated simultaneously (but where the curbside system was introduced after the drop-off system), and an exclusive drop-off system. This part of the study focuses on analyzing the operation and performance of the two waste collection systems. The mixed collection system is shown to yield higher material separation rates, higher recycling rates, and lower contamination rates compared with the exclusive drop-off system, a result of the curbside component in the former system. However, the operational efficiency of the curbside collection in the mixed system is lower than the drop-off collection in the mixed system and the exclusive drop-off system, mainly because of inefficiency of collection. A key recommendation is to ensure that the systems should be optimized in an attempt to improve performance. Optimization should be applied not only to logistical aspects but also to citizens' participation, which could be improved by conducting curbside collection awareness campaigns in the neighborhoods that have a mixed system.

An environmental-economic assessment of residential curbside collection programs in Central Florida

Inefficient collection and scheduling procedures negatively affect residential curbside collection (RCC) efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and cost. As Florida aims to achieve a 75% recycling goal by 2020, municipalities have switched to single-stream recycling to improve recycling efficiency. Waste diversion and increased collection cost have forced some municipalities to reduce garbage collection frequency. The goal of this study was to explore the trade-offs between environmental and economic factors of RCC systems in Florida by evaluating the RCC system design of 25 different Central Florida communities. These communities were grouped into four sets based on their RCC garbage, yard waste, and recyclables collection design, i.e., frequency of collection and use of dual-stream (DS) or single-stream (SS) recyclables collection system. For the 25 communities studied, it was observed that RCC programs that used SS recyclables collection system recycled approximately 15-35%, by weight of the waste steam, compared to 5-20% for programs that used DS. The GHG emissions associated with collection programs were estimated to be between 36 and 51kg CO2eq per metric ton of total household waste (garbage and recyclables), depending on the garbage collection frequency, recyclables collection system (DS or SS), and recyclables compaction. When recyclables offsets were considered, the GHG emissions associated with programs using SS were estimated between -760 and -560, compared to between -270 and -210kg CO2eq per metric ton of total waste for DS programs. These data suggest that RCC system design can significantly impact recyclables generation rate and efficiency, and consequently determine environmental and economic impacts of collection systems. Recycling participation rate was found to have a significant impact on the environmental and financial performance of RCC programs. Collection emissions were insignificant compared to the benefits of recycling. SS collection of recyclables provided cost benefits compared to DS, mainly due to faster collection time.

Source segregation and food waste prevention activities in high-density households in a deprived urban area

A waste audit and a household questionnaire survey were conducted in high-density housing estates in one of the most economically and socially deprived areas of England (Haringey, London). Such areas are under-represented in published research. The study examined source segregation, potential participation in a food waste segregation scheme, and food waste prevention activities in five estates (1034 households). The results showed that: contamination of recyclables containers was low; ca. 28% of the mixed residual waste's weight was recyclable; food waste comprised a small proportion of the waste from these residents, probably because of their relatively disadvantaged economic circumstances; and the recycling profile reflected an intermittent pattern of behaviour. Although the majority of respondents reported that they would participate in a food waste separation scheme, the response rate was low and many responses of "don't know" were recorded. Municipalities committed to foster improved diversion from landfill need to recognise that there is no "quick and easy fix", regardless of local or national aspirations. Lasting and sustained behaviour change requires time and the quality of service provision and associated infrastructure play a fundamental role in facilitating residents to participate effectively in waste management activities that maximise capture of source-segregated materials. Populations in deprived areas that reside in high-rise, high-density dwellings are "hard-to-reach" in terms of participation in recycling schemes and exceptional efforts and additional resources are usually required to improve performance.

Destined for indecision? A critical analysis of waste management practices in England from 1996 to 2013

European nations are compelled to reduce reliance on landfill as a destination for household waste, and should, in principle, achieve this goal with due recognition of the aims and principles of the waste hierarchy. Past research has predominantly focused on recycling, whilst interactions between changing waste destinies, causes and drivers of household waste management change, and potential consequences for the goal of the waste hierarchy are less well understood. This study analysed Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW) for England, at national, regional and sub-regional level, in terms of the destination of household waste to landfill, incineration and recycling. Information about waste partnerships, waste management infrastructure and collection systems was collected to help identify and explain changes in waste destinies. Since 1996, the proportion of waste landfilled in England has decreased, in tandem with increases in recycling and incineration. At the regional and sub-regional (Local Authority; LA) level, there have been large variations in the relative proportions of waste landfilled, incinerated and recycled or composted. Annual increases in the proportion of household waste incinerated were typically larger than increases in the proportion recycled. The observed changes took place in the context of legal and financial drivers, and the circumstances of individual LAs (e.g. landfill capacity) also explained the changes seen. Where observed, shifts from landfill towards incineration constitute an approach whereby waste management moves up the waste hierarchy as opposed to an attempt to reach the most preferred option(s); in terms of resource efficiency, this practice is sub-optimal. The requirement to supply incinerators with a feedstock over their lifespan reduces the benefits of developing of recycling and waste reduction, although access to incineration infrastructure permits short-term and marked decreases in the proportion of LACW landfilled. We conclude that there is a need for clearer national strategy and co-ordination to inform and guide policy, practice, planning and investment in infrastructure such that waste management can be better aligned with the principles of the circular economy and resource efficiency. If the ongoing stand-off between national political figures and the waste sector continues, England's waste policy remains destined for indecision.