Many thanks to colleagues from INTECUS, INFA and Zöller-Scantec and experts from Parma, Vienna, Düsseldorf, Albano Laaziale, and the region of Catalunya who presented their experiences! Here are our conclusions in brief:
1. Differentiated waste fees are necessary to offer a fair and effective waste charging system to citizens.
2. Households, should be identified and assigned to a certain waste bin or container to avoid any impression of anonymity. Waste containers accessible to everyone usually contain larger quantities of residual waste.
3. Municipalities should carefully monitor quality and consider offering free-of-charge bio-waste bins only on a voluntary basis to prevent contamination.
4. The introduction of a basic charge covering a minimum amount of waste collections that are by default included in the waste bill is recommended. This does not only help to cover fixed costs for waste
management but also disincentivises littering and helps to prevent incorrect waste separation behaviour.
4. Cities can also incentivize home composting by incorporating discounts into residual waste fees if there is sufficient space in gardens. Monitoring is necessary to avoid free-riding.
5. For cities which are yet to introduce a differentiated waste charging system it may be
recommended to always first start with a pilot area, since there is always the need to
adjust systems to local circumstances and citizens’ acceptance. The same goes for
introducing technological modifications f.ex. scanning technology and communication
through apps or similar.
6. Citizens should be integrated in the creation of waste management systems and raising awareness, as public participation plays a vital role in the success in waste management.
The complete summary of the workshop is available on the Bin2Bean website.
N³ is among the leading partners of the Bin2Bean project – please see the news from the consortial meeting and the report from the Thessaloniki International Fair
