Fabrizio Dallari

The efficiency and effectiveness of urban waste collection systems In Italy are generally measured in terms of separate collection achieved and other relevant parameters like the interception rates of the total municipal waste and the single fractions.The results are determined by the greater or lower propensity of the various systems to encourage participation of citizens-users to separate collection. The first difference that can be found is between the systems with road and/or proximity containers, in which the adhesion to the collection system is essentially voluntary and the domiciliary systems (door-to-door)with a higher adhesion. In the first case the results in terms of qualitative-quantitative interception rates are generally lower than the door-to-door systems that have better overall performance. Door-to-door systems can be designed by providing the users with rigid containers (like tubs, bins or wheeled carriers), disposable plastic bags or a mix of the two types of equipment. The research carried out allowed us to study changes in technical performance and the adhesion to the collection system by users. We compared two homogeneous areas, managed by the same subject (Econord SpA), with the same collection frequencies, but with two different non-recyclable dry fraction collection systems: in one case with disposable bags,in the other with 40 l masters both equipped with Rfid chips. The results show how the two system, although presenting their own peculiarities, also from the logistic / operational point of view, generate comparable results, thanks also to a good communication system thet allows to mediate the effects.