ARC | The 7th edition of Waste in Progress examines efficiency in waste collection

The 7th edition of the international forum Waste in Progress, organised by several local public institutions including the Catalan Waste Agency (ARC), took place on 16–18 September at the Girona Conference Center. The event brought together experts, technicians, and municipal leaders to discuss high-efficiency waste collection systems, service regulation, cost assessment, monitoring, and key performance indicators. The event emphasised the urgent need to address the growing waste challenge and highlighted prevention, landfill closure, and the development of resource centers as crucial steps forward.

Throughout the forum, international models from Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Ireland, Romania, and the UK showcased innovations such as pay-as-you-throw schemes, deposit-return systems, open data analysis, and the electrification of waste collection fleets. Key takeaways stressed the importance of transparent regulation, citizen involvement, prioritising recycling quality over quantity, using public procurement as a strategic tool, clear communication of costs and benefits, and employing data-driven indicators to improve efficiency. 

Source: https://residus.gencat.cat (in Catalan)