PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The recycling of dry municipal solid waste (MSW) in Israel only addresses 20% of MSW; the rest, 80%, goes to landfills.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the project was to demonstrate the feasibility of a source-separated collection and processing of wet compostable and dry streams of MSW. The project objectives were: 1. To design and evaluate optimal containers and collection system; 2. To adapt and improve the technology to prepare compost; 3. To develop and demonstrate public educational programmes; 4. To evaluate public acceptance and to use it to prepare planning and education programmes; 5. To evaluate and demonstrate economical feasibility and advantages of the proposed method; 6. To evaluate and demonstrate environmental aspects of the proposed method; and 7. To disseminate the approach and the finding of the project among other municipalities, in Israel and other Mediterranean countries. The project should have resulted in a demonstration of the sustainable management of MSW based on the recycling and utilisation of wet organic waste. Using bins provided by the project, residents in Kiriat Tivon would separate their household waste in the home. The project planned to organise collection and delivery of the waste to the appropriate next step (beyond the scope of the project). The demonstration project was to take place in Kiriat Tivon, using initially a sample of 1,000 households. Household sorting of dry waste (paper, plastic, glass, etc) had already been successfully introduced in Kiriat Tivon and was to be modified for the purposes of this project.
RESULTS
The separation of wet and dry streams of waste was applied in the town of Kiriat Tivon, a town of around 14,000 people. The project designed, produced and purchased bins for distribution to both single- and multi-family homes. In order to foster a feeling of ownership in the scheme, homeowners were expected to buy the bins, but at a subsidised price. In order to inform and educate the public about the scheme, the project carried out an extensive and targeted information campaign, including numerous publications in newspapers and leaflets aimed at specific sectors of the population. The project held information sessions in schools and carried out phone-surveys. The participation of local people in the project was very encouraging. Participation involved 55% (1,030) of single-family homes, by the end of the project (July 2001) and 1,421 families living in multi-family homes. The project has not ended, despite the end of the LIFE funding, and by October 2002, 67% of families owned the waste separation bins. Waste collection was introduced with dry waste being collected once a week, and wet waste twice a week. The use of the wet-stream waste has been investigated for use in composting. The collection was monitored, as was public opinion. The Ministry of Environment considers the project to be a model of its kind, and as a major alternative to land-filling. The separation of wet and dry streams of waste was applied in the town of Kiriat Tivon, a town of around 14,000 people. The project designed, produced and purchased bins for distribution to both single- and multi-family homes. In order to foster a feeling of ownership in the scheme, homeowners were expected to buy the bins, but at a subsidised price. In order to inform and educate the public about the scheme, the project carried out an extensive and targeted information campaign, including numerous publications in newspapers and leaflets aimed at specific sectors of the population. The project held information sessions in schools and carried out phone-surveys. The participation of local people in the project was very encouraging. Participation involved 55% (1,030) of single-family homes, by the end of the project (July 2001) and 1,421 families living in multi-family homes. The project has not ended, despite the end of the LIFE funding, and by October 2002, 67% of families owned the waste separation bins. Waste collection was introduced with dry waste being collected once a week, and wet waste twice a week. The use of the wet-stream waste has been investigated for use in composting. The collection was monitored, as was public opinion. The Ministry of Environment considers the project to be a model of its kind, and as a major alternative to land-filling.