The issue: Upgrading municipal solid waste infrastructure (MSWI) is crucial for cities adapting to population growth and changing consumption patterns. But, the performance of upgraded municipal solid waste infrastructure in circular waste systems is inconsistent.
To develop a framework that encompasses both the social and technical aspects of MSWI in cities, this project examined indicators of circularity and inclusion in the MSWI of Almere, a metropolitan region of Amsterdam and a leader in Europe's zero-waste initiatives.
Technical innovations here include the use of robot waste sorters and underground pipelines that take away separated waste from above-ground bins by vacuum pump. At upcycle sites, staff help residents sort their waste into up to 48 categories, there are educational and research facilities, and support for start-ups that use recycled materials. These top down-driven initiatives are typically capital intensive, and, while they are technically efficient and forward-looking, they have limited social impact.
Bottom-up, community-led initiatives, by contrast, do provide social value. Think thrift shops and repair cafes, which bring together donators, (usually volunteer) sorters and repairers, and consumers while also performing a circular function. Or worm hotels, which are fed with locally sourced organic waste and the resulting compost used by residents in their gardens.
In the twenty years up to 2021, these initiatives combined resulted in a volume reduction in overall waste, even as the population of Almere has almost doubled to 230,000. This success has been achieved because of the combination of technical and social innovation and inclusion, matched with political and regulatory will. The deployment of any of these, in isolation, leads to poorer circular waste performance in urban areas.
“The key point of the framework is that for waste infrastructure in the city, do not only pay attention to the technical side. What you need to do is also consider the social services and all the different stakeholders involved.”
Implications for other cities: Especially for cities in developing countries, this framework, with its championing of social innovation alongside technical capabilities, has particular relevance. Because they are at the stage still of using incineration and landfill for their waste, which is what Almere was doing until landfill was banned and other waste management solutions were needed.