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Advanced waste monitoring

An efficient and effective waste management strategy is based on detailed knowledge of statistical data for the waste streams collected at local level and treated. Data collection and management can be carried out in detail and through logical steps. Initially by defining which information should be collected and then keeping a good and updated database, which allows the extraction and processing of the required information in order to implement a number of analyses on the management of waste.

A key aspect of improved waste monitoring is the ability to track information along the entire value chain of the collected waste, not only for the operations managed in-house but also on the fate of waste afterwards, when it may be managed by external companies and contractors. For that reason, it is important for local authorities to include in the contractual agreement with the external organisation the provision to regularly communicate relevant data on waste management operations.

Thanks to advanced waste monitoring of waste operations directly managed by the local authority/waste management organisation or outsourced to other organisations, local authorities are able to track waste streams throughout their presence in the waste management system and even further. Web-based tools can be adopted for tracking and reporting waste data and for ensuring the easy access of the local authority or residents to all data on waste management.

Detailed waste monitoring requires regular analysis of the composition of mixed waste. Knowledge of the composition of mixed waste drives the improvements to the waste management strategy to further increase the capacity of the quantities of all collected, processed and recycled waste streams. An important aspect of improved waste monitoring is the timely availability of data, which allows monitoring of the waste management system based on updated information.

Data collected and analysed can be used for internal purposes and for providing the required transparency to citizens. In connection with the best practice on Pay-as-You-Throw (PAYT) it is easily possible to monitor which citizens have individual bins and which use common bins. Then it can be investigated where the collection and capture rates can be optimised most. The same is true for the collection frequency for citizens' waste as each collection is recorded and documented for all citizens.

This best practice can be fully applied to all local authorities and waste management organisations. Especially for those starting the process, it is recommended that waste monitoring may focus on the most relevant waste fractions and then it can be extended to all fractions, step by step.

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