2. REUSING: STRATEGIES FOR MUNICIPALITIES

Municipal waste is defined as waste collected and disposed of by or for municipalities. It includes household waste – including bulky waste –, similar waste from commercial establishments, office buildings, institutions and small businesses, as well as garden and green waste, street sweepings, dustbin contents and market cleaning waste, which are considered similar to household waste. The definition excludes waste from municipal sewage systems and their treatment, as well as waste from construction and demolition. This indicator is measured in kilotons and kilogrammes per capita.

Municipal waste accounts for only about 10% of the total waste generated. However, it has a very high policy profile due to its complex composition, its distribution across many waste sources and its link to consumption patterns.

The total amount of municipal waste generated in 2020 varies widely in the EU, ranging from 282 kg per capita in Romania to 834 kg per capita in Austria. These variations reflect differences in consumer behaviour and economic conditions, but also depend on how municipal waste is collected and managed: the extent to which industrial, commercial, and administrative waste is collected and disposed of together with household waste varies from country to country.

www.freepik.com/free-photo/trash-bags_10095691.htm

Municipalities have a significant role in defining strategies for the reuse of waste, playing an important role in the circular economy. For example, they can set goals and create a chronogramme to plan each step of the process, involve the community in the process, increase community awareness of waste reduction and segregation, incentivise reduction and recycling, increase local trade and encourage the consumption of local products.

During this process, it is particularly important to evolve the community, to be truly clear about the results and recompensate the ones who are committed.