Innovative Solutions for Local Public Administration in the Process of the Waste Collection

Abstract

Sustainable development has always been one of the most important policies implemented by the European Union, mentioned in different treaties over time. In 2015, European Union is setting 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with 169 targets within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developement. European Union is preseting the SDG 11 Goal aim ”to renew and plan cities and other human settlements in a way that they offer opportunities for all, with access to servicies, energy, housing, transportation, green public spaces, while improving resource use and reducing environmental impacts”. The EU is monitoring the progress towards SDGs for all member states through different indicators, like the recycling rate of municipal waste for SDG 11. In 2018, Romania has the recyling rate of municipal waste of only 11,11%, far away from the average of EU of 47,4%. The local public administrations have an important role in increasing the recyling rate, by providing the best services for the citizens and, in the same time, by reducing the costs of these services. In this matter, the paper presents an innovative solution regarding the waste collection in the largest District from Bucharest, Romania. The underground waste collection platforms represent and alternative for the classic platforms and the innovation comes from the smart component that they integrate, represented by the filling sensors that communicate directly to the sanitation operator. The monitoring system has direct effect by incresing the efficiency of the waste collections process, as follows: reduces the waste collection cost by 50%; improves the services provided for the citizens; predicts waste generation patterns based on data; refines waste collection processes over time; optimizes routing and navigation etc.

Studies on the Possibilities of Improving Plastic Management Services

“…In the last 30 years, plastic materials became one of the most frequently used materials for the manufacturing of a wide range of products that are used in different industrial sectors. They are usually used in the packaging industry, for manufacturing automobile parts or electronics, but also for furniture and sports equipment [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Their characteristics, like durability, strength, lightness and low price, contributed to the replacement of many products made out of traditional materials, like wood, but it also allowed creating various innovative products [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Moreover, because plastic decomposes very slowly, it takes a lot of space in landfills to dispose of it. All of these aspects contribute to debates regarding the most efficient treatment of this waste fraction from an environmental and economic point of view [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”