The performance of the municipal solid waste management system is highly influenced by two main categories; waste strategy and instruments, such as collection systems, legal framework, economic instruments in place etc. and external factors like level of economic activity, consumption pattern etc.
For waste authorities responsible for municipal solid waste management it is important to assess and understand the performance of their waste management system as a whole and to identify areas of improvement where best practices can be applied. This best practice aims to support waste authorities and/or organisations in charge of waste management at local level in conducting an assessment of their municipal solid waste management performance, independently of whether they have already been doing so or not.
It is essential that local authorities and waste management organisations in charge of waste management have available concrete metrics that allow to assess the environmental performance of the waste management system. Moreover, practical results allow sound decision making. Basically, taking decision for the adaptation of the municipal solid waste management system based on the results obtained from the environmental performance indicators may result in environmental improvements and/or economic benefits for the local authority.
This best practice highlights a set of common environmental performance indicators that can be used by any waste management organisations. This set of indicators is suitable for all municipal solid waste streams and allows the conversion of raw monitoring data into a meaningful result able to support strategic planning. The indicators address the following waste management phases:
- MSW generation and prevention
- MSW collection
- MSW treatment