Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is becoming a highly important issue of considerable complexity, considering the plethora of processes, technologies and strategies available, and taking into account the number and diversity of the stakeholders involved. As complexity increases in times of uncertainty, risks increase in the development and operation of waste management systems, requiring consistent management. The aim of this paper is to briefly demonstrate the application and importance of a risk management perspective in the design, implementation and further development of a robust and resilient municipal solid waste policy. We concentrate on a major Greek municipality (Patras) and outline the use of a risk management method, as well as discussing its benefits when applied in the framework of the existing solid waste management system.

Effective municipal solid waste management requires rigorous risk assessment, evaluation and monitoring through a risk management system. In this line, this study aims first to highlight the importance of using the Bow Tie risk analysis method as a quantitative analysis tool for optimal waste management, and second to demonstrate the fact that the reliability of the method’s results, depends entirely on the uncertainty inherent in the various estimates of the stakeholders. Methodologically the work is based on two pillars: first, a study of the existing literature on risk management in the context of waste management is undertaken, and second, a bow-tie type risk analysis model is developed. Towards this end, and building on previous work, we concentrate on the highest impact event / hazard, identified in the existing municipal waste management system of the Municipality of Patra, Greece, and we apply the Bow Tie type analysis method in order to re-estimate its risk. This method’s results are then subjected to statistical and sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation to ensure the reliability of the results. Overall, the impacts of the most important risk are presented, and the advantages of the method are highlighted.