Collection model:
Door-to-door kitchen waste collection covering 100% of households and large producers. Limited backup bring points.
Treatment model:
Kitchen waste: anaerobic digestion & composting. Garden waste: composting facility.
Key elements:
PAYT (variable fee based on residual waste set-outs); 12% rebate for home composting; reduced residual waste frequency; RFID-tagged bins and GPS-tracked collection; certified compostable liners required; quality checks by IREN with rejection of contaminated bins.
Evidence of success:
(2021 data) 82% MSW separate collection rate. Kitchen waste: 101 kg/inhab./yr. Garden waste: 82 kg/inhab./yr. Impurities 3.3%.
Awareness and engagement:
Extensive stakeholder engagement before and during D-t-D rollout (25 public meetings across neighbourhoods). Dedicated programme for businesses with regular consultations and service adjustments. Ongoing dialogue facilitated by appointed waste officers during tool distribution. Strong political involvement and creative campaigns (e.g. “funeral” of the last road container). School-wide project “Rifiuti? Risorse!” engaging all education levels. Multilingual communication (6 languages) targeting immigrants and students. Multi-channel outreach (e.g., TV, press, flyers, canvassing, info points, website, apps). Continuous consultation supporting mandatory participation and PAYT.
Italy
Scale: Local (municipal)
Demographic type: Urban
Population: 195,436 inh.; 746 inh./km² (2022)
Organisation in charge: IREN – public multi-utility company, under city authority guidance
Source:
LIFE BIOBEST (2024). D3.1 Guidelines on Separate Collection: Annex 1 — Best Practice Cases on Bio-waste Collection.
LIFE BIOBEST (2024). D3.4 Country Factsheets on the analysis of communication and engagement practices.