Door to door selective waste collection and the effects on waste prevention

Municipalities that have implemented the door to door (DtD) selective waste collection experience a significant waste reduction: Waste generation per capita in the Catalan cities and towns shows an average decrease of 15.3% (weighted by population) comparing the generation before and after the implantation of the DtD waste collection scheme, according to a study conducted by the Association and ENT Foundation in 2013. The results of waste reduction achieved with the introduction of door to door schemes are listed below.

Waste reduction achieved after the implementation of door to door waste collection schemes.



Only experiences where DtD collection applies to more than 90% of the population have been included.


Waste reduction achieved after the implementation of door to door waste collection schemes.
Waste prevention achieved during the first two years after the implementation reaches 15.3% of waste prevention. Then this tends to stabilize.




When comparing the prevention achieved between the different types of door to door waste collection schemes, results obtained are lower in the case of 2-fractions DtD schemes than those obtained in schemes in which more fractions are collected door to door.


Waste reduction achieved after implementing different door to door waste collection schemes, depending on the number of fractions collected door-to-door.





 

No other schemes achieve this reduction in waste generation. These are some of the main causes:

1. Avoided collection of non-municipal waste.

This is considered one of the most important reasons that explain the achieved waste reduction. With the implementation of DtD collection, most street containers are removeds, and so it ceases the collection of non-municipal waste that were irregularly disposed of in them, such as some industrial waste, green waste from professional gardeners, construction waste, etc. Once the street containers are removed, these forms of illegal disposal become more visible and thus easier detect and prevent.



2. Waste tourism

Waste tourism is responsible for a small part of the total waste reduction that occurs when a DtD scheme is implemented. This phenomenon appears when a small percentage of people disagree with the waste collection scheme in their neighbourhood or town, and they irregularly dispose of their household waste in street containers located in bordering towns or just dump it illegally on the environment (close to roads, water streams, etc). These are negligible in weight, but potentially very visible.

Factors that may influence "waste tourism" could be mainly:

  • High presence of tourism and second homes
  • Effects related to dormitory towns
  • DtD towns very close to towns with waste collection by means of street containers
  • Waste street containers in bordering towns located in accessible places
  • Inadequate communication and information campaign. Insufficient monitoring and control.

Waste tourism is difficult to control. The complicity of the bordering municipalities is necessary and may be punishable if regulated in the local ordinances.

Under the "waste tourists" point of view, moving their waste around and avoiding waste separation may seem easy and comfortable at the beginning, but tends to be not sustainable in the long term.



3. Change of habits in the population.

The introduction of a DtD selective waste collection scheme require important information and awareness campaigns that must reach the entire population. This will include a variety of meetings with the population, sectorial talks to businesses, associations, communities, door-to-door, etc. Besides, once DtD is implemented, it requires communicative monitoring through civic agents, inspectors and informants. This big effort on communication at the beginning allows people to be very informed and aware. This translates into higher environmental concerns, and ultimately in better results.

Making the people responsible of the management of their own wastes, makes them more aware of their own production and the environmental consequences of an unsustainable waste management. This leads to changes in their household's habits in relation to waste generation.

In DtD municipalities it is easy to see people incorporating new habits into their daily behaviour, such as shopping with basket, using lunchbox, buying products in bulk or with minimal packaging, avoiding single-use products, using tap water, refusing advertising in the mailbox, etc.