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Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
BCN
Waste Prevention Plan
for Barcelona 2012-2020
BC
N
bcn.cat/
habitaturba
facebook.com/Bcn.cat
twitter.com/Bcn_mediambient
Presentation 3
About the City 5
1. CONTEXT
Prevention in the management of municipal waste 7
1.1 The concept of prevention 7
1.2 The benefits of prevention 10
1.3 Laws, plans and baseline objectives 11
1.3 Powers of local authorities 15
2. KNOWLEDGE
The production of municipal waste in Barcelona 19
2.1 Collection types and services 19
2.2 Trends in waste composition 22
2.3 Possible scenarios and predictions 37
2.4 The cost of waste management 39
3. PLANNING
Challenges and actions proposed 43
3.1 The extent and scope of application 43
3.2 Prevention: challenges and objectives 45
3.3 Strategic fields and actions 48
– Thematic area of organic waste (OFMSW) 50
– Thematic area of light packaging 55
– Thematic area of paper and cardboard 58
– Thematic area of glass 60
– Thematic area of bulky waste 62
– Thematic area of other fractions 64
– Thematic area of actions concerning specific agents and sites 66
– Thematic area of training, participation and research 68
3.4 The global potential of prevention 76
3.5 Execution and follow-up 82
The annex to Barcelona’s Waste Prevention Plan includes the various proposal sheets.
The annex is available for download at Barcelona’s Council website.
PRESENTATION
Prevention is the best solution to avoid Waste Prevention Plan for the period
generating waste. Any resource or mate- 2012-2020. The document, the first of its
rial that, by not being consumed, does kind by the city, aims to consolidate pre-
not end its life cycle as waste represents vention actions as part of the municipal
an important benefit from an environ- waste management programme, pro-
mental, energy and economic perspec- mote the active participation and com-
tive inasmuch as the collection, trans- mitment of various social and economic
port and treatment of municipal waste agents in this shared project, while
currently represents a significant cost sending a prevention message to the
met by society as a whole. general public so that they incorporate
into their daily lives actions and good
It is for this reason that waste prevention practices that help promote responsible
has become the number one objective of and non-material consumption.
the European Union’s waste manage-
3
ment policy, more important even than The general objective of the plan is to re-
reuse and recycling. European Directive duce municipal waste by 10%. To reach
Hàbitat Urbà
2008/98/CE, transposed into Spanish that target, the document is structured
and Catalan law, clearly establishes that around eight policy areas that cover ap-
prevention is the main policy action to proximately 20 strategic lines and a total Environment and
Urban Services
move towards zero waste, while the last of 45 actions to be implemented as a pri-
resort is waste disposal. The directive ority while the plan is in place, although
Waste Prevention
defines prevention as the package of some have already been introduced as Plan for Barcelona
measures to be adopted before any sub- municipal planning and environmental 2012-2020
stance, material or product becomes a planning policies. The deployment and
waste product. application of this package of measures
will allow waste to be reduced by almost
As specified in waste management pro- 100,000 tonnes by 2020, making Barce-
grammes prepared by Catalan and met- lona one of the most committed cities
ropolitan administrations, Barcelona in Europe facing up to the challenge of
City Council has taken on this prevention waste prevention.
challenge and drawn up the Barcelona
ABOUT THE CITY
The area The population and economic
activities
Barcelona is a city in the east of the Ibe- As a result of migration flows, Barcelona
rian Peninsula in the Autonomous Com- grew from a little over half a million in-
munity of Catalonia. Situated on the habitants at the beginning of the 20th
Mediterranean coast, Barcelona’s cli- century to more than 1.9 million at the
mate is characterised by hot summers end of the 1970s. Today, the city’s popu-
and mild winters. The mean average lation stands at approximately 1.6 mil-
temperature is 18.3ºC, with 2,800 hours lion. In terms of age groups, 12% of the
of sunshine and 870 mm3 of rainfall. population is between 0 and 14.9% is be-
tween 15 and 25.58% is between 25 and
The city lies between the Llobregat basin 64, and 21% is 65 and above. Immigration
in the south and the Besòs basin in the has risen over recent years to 17% of the
north, and, from east to west, between total population, turning Barcelona into a
the sea and the Collserola mountain multicultural area. It has also given the
range. Covering 102.2 km2 Barcelona’s city a high degree of social complexity
5
widest points run from Collserola and and considerable diversification in terms
the Port (8 km), and from Montjuïc and of employment and housing.
Hàbitat Urbà
the Besòs river (9 km). Wooded areas
cover 17.6% of the city (most of which At an economic level, business services
is in Collserola Park), and urban green are a key feature, accounting for 25% of Environment and
Urban Services
spaces account for 10% of the city’s sur- the tertiary sector and more than 20%
face area. of the city’s total economy. Hotel and
Waste Prevention
commercial services have also been a Plan for Barcelona
Nevertheless, the city’s area of influence significant feature of this tertiarisation 2012-2020
extends beyond its administrative lim- process. Turning to the technological so-
its. Over the last 50 years, a process of phistication of the city’s industries and
metropolitanisation has affected cities services, Barcelona leads the field when
throughout the world and has made Bar- it comes to technology and knowledge.
celona a large urban system with a new Its industrial fabric accounts for 10% of
geographic reality. This has meant an highly technical jobs and 41% of medium
extension of the urban pattern with ma- to highly technical jobs. Within the tertia-
jor environmental, social and economic ry sector, there is also a trend towards
implications for the area, particularly in specialisation of activities, with 5% of
terms of the planning and management services based on high technology and
of natural resources and waste, along 43% on knowledge.
with their associated services.
However, the city is characterised by
the compactness and density of its ur-
ban fabric, a feature that has always en-
hanced Barcelona’s character as a mixed
and diverse city. Consequently, there has
been limited zoning with regard to urban
functions, where the proximity of hous-
ing to the workplace and other areas
of activity mean average journey times
continue to be relatively short.
Barcelona in figures
Average temperature 18.3ºC
Annual rainfall 865.5 mm
Population (2012) 1,619,839 (52,5% women)
Surface area 102.2 km2
Density 15,850 inhabitants/km2
6
Life expectancy 82.8 years
Hàbitat Urbà
Environment and
Urban Services Wooded areas 17.6%
Green spaces 10.5%
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona Length of beaches 4.6 km
2012-2020
Domestic water consumption 40 m3/person/year
Domestic electricity consumption 1,487 kWh/person/year
Average income per person (2009) €19,900/any
GDP per person (2008) €39,900
Production of municipal waste (2011) 804,921 tonnes
Waste production per capita 1.36 kg/person/year
Selective collection 37.9%
1. CONTEXT
Prevention in the management of municipal waste
1.1.
The concept of prevention
Current legislation and planning docu- down priorities to be applied in waste
mentation define prevention as the set management policies where prevention
of measures to adopt before any sub- is of primary importance when taking
stance, material or produce becomes action:
waste, and where the measures also
have to contribute to reducing: 1. prevention
2. preparation for reuse
• the quantity of waste (including prep- 3. recycling (including composting)
aration for reuse1 or extending prod- 4. other types of valorisation (for exam-
uct life) ple, energy valorisation)
• the negative impact of waste on the 5. elimination (or disposal)
health of individuals and on the envi-
ronment The concept of preparation for reuse
• the content of hazardous substances includes checking, cleaning or repair-
7
in materials and products ing activities which allow a waste sub-
stance, product or material to be reused
Hàbitat Urbà
In this sense, European, Spanish and without any other pre-processing.
Catalan law define a hierarchy that sets
Environment and
Urban Services
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
Figure 1: Hierarchical pyramid of waste management
Prevention
Preparation for reuse
Recycling and material
valorisation
Energy
valorisation
Controlled
disposal
It is possible to change the order
of priority for specific waste flows,
providing this can be justified on
grounds of technical or economic
viability and environmental protec-
tion.
Figure 2: Definition of the concept of waste prevention
Types of waste prevention
Quantitative prevention Qualitative prevention
8
Hàbitat Urbà
Reduction in the quantity of waste Reduction of the amount of hazardous
produced (weight, volume, number substances or pollutants contained
Environment and of units) in products/waste
Urban Services
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
The French Agency for the Environment 3. Actions in favour of responsible prod-
and Energy Management (ADEME) serves uct use: training to promote the use of
as an example of the different strategies information and communication tech-
that can be adopted to reach prevention nologies (ICTs), promotion of reusable
objectives (see Figure 3), where detailed products, actions that promote repair,
steps of the entire waste production and centres to promote the use of second-
management process are described, hand items, etc.
from the extraction of raw materials to
their final destination. In line with these 4. Actions to ensure that waste, once
strategies, four types of actions can be generated, does not enter the waste-
considered to promote prevention: collection cycle: secondary use and
home composting.
1. Actions that promote eco-friendly
production in business and com-
merce: business waste prevention
plans, regulations covering advertis-
ing, magazines and newspapers, eco-
friendly events, etc.
2. Actions in favour or responsible pur-
chasing: promotion of dematerialised
consumption and products that last,
regulation of the distribution of pack-
aging at point of sale, control of untar-
geted advertising material, promotion
of eco-labelling, environmental clauses
in public procurement, etc.
Figure 3: Stages in waste prevention
Extraction /
manufacturing
Transport
Distribution Reuse after col-
lection (e.g. bulky
items, textiles)
Purchase / use 9
Management Hàbitat Urbà
by owners
Reuse Environment and
Urban Services
Municipal
or private
Involvement and behaviour collection Waste Prevention
of economic actors and Plan for Barcelona
Recycling or 2012-2020
individuals
treatment
Extended consumer Other types of
responsibility – pre-treatment /
Source reduction eco-consumption treatment / disposal
Waste
Waste avoidance diversion
Waste minimisation
STAGES IN WASTE MANAGEMENT STAGES IN WASTE PREVENTION
Source: ADEME, 2005.1.2.
The benefits of prevention
Environmental Economics
• Saving natural resources: waste pre- • Reduction in the costs associated
vention avoids the consumption of raw with waste management (collection,
materials to make new products. transport, treatment and final dis-
• Energy savings: these relate to the posal, etc.), especially in the areas of
avoidance of manufacturing, distrib- treatment, where less tonnage enter-
uting and using products and also to ing waste treatment plants represents
the processes associated with waste a direct saving.
management (collection, treatment • Direct and indirect job creation arising
and final disposal). from rolling out prevention actions and
• Lower environmental impact: related projects (communications campaigns
both to the production and distribu- and campaigns about reuse, etc.) and
tion of goods (atmospheric emissions, other associated activities.
10
water and soil pollution, etc.) and to
waste collection, treatment and final
Hàbitat Urbà
disposal. Management sphere
• Better workplace health and lower
Environment and environmental risks: qualitative pre- • Complement the legal framework
Urban Services
vention means less handling of toxic that establishes general and specific
or hazardous substances, benefits to prevention objectives (EU preven-
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
the health of workers and lower asso- tion strategy, wrapping and packaging
2012-2020 ciated environmental risks. legislation, Municipal Waste Manage-
ment Programme of Catalonia – PRO-
GREMIC, etc.) and a management hier-
archy that prioritises prevention.
• Increased knowledge and awareness
amongst the public about waste man-
agement in the city.
• Reductions in the need to manage
collection services and reductions in
plant capacity; optimisation and con-
trol of waste management systems.
Furthermore, this could mean a longer
life for current landfill sites and a re-
duction in the land required for land-
fill, with new treatment and waste dis-
posal infrastructures.1.3.
Laws, plans and baseline
objectives
Legislation covering waste prevention rial or substance.
has also progressed. Since the beginning – Computer, telecommunications,
of the 1990s, the issue has moved from and consumer equipment: 65% re-
being a theoretical priority for the Gov- cycling target or the reuse of each
ernment, an intention that never turned component.
into reality, to becoming the number one – Small household appliances, light-
priority for waste management to the ing, electric and electronic tools
point where quantitative objectives have (except large, fixed industrial
been set down in a number of regula- items), toys: 50% recycling target or
tions. The main objectives, particularly the reuse of each component.
quantitative ones, included in current
legislation and planning policy follow: • Directive 2000/53/EC, amended
by Decision 2002/525/EC, of 27
June, transposed into Royal Decree
11
European directives 1383/2002 on the management of
end-of-life vehicles. The following ob-
Hàbitat Urbà
• Directive 2008/98/EC, of 19 Novem- jectives were set:
ber 2008, on waste, sets a hierarchy – Increase the reuse and valorisation
of waste where prevention and pre- of vehicles up to 85% of their aver- Environment and
Urban Services
paring for reuse are the guiding man- age weight (by 1 January 2006).
agement principles, followed by recy- – Reuse and valorisation of up to 95%
Waste Prevention
cling and other forms of valorisation, per vehicle (by 1 January 2015). Plan for Barcelona
such as waste valorisation. Disposal 2012-2020
is considered to be a last resort. No
benchmarks for prevention were set Spanish laws and plans
in the directive, although it does indi-
cate that benchmarks based on best • Law 22/2011, of 28 July, on waste and
practice will be introduced at the end contaminated soils, which states that
of 2014. public administrations, in the frame-
• Directive 94/62/EC, of 11 February work of their own powers, must ap-
2004, amending Directive 64/62/EC, prove waste prevention programmes
on packaging and packaging waste, by 12 December 2013.
was transposed into Act 11/1997, of The programmes need to estab-
24 April, on packaging and packaging lish prevention objectives and set
waste. Law 11/1997 states that the down existing prevention measures.
total waste from packaging should be The measures will aim to reduce the
reduced by at least 10% in weight by weight of waste produced in 2020 by
30 June 2011. 10% compared with 2010.
• Directive 2003/108/EC, of 8 Sep-
tember 2003, transposed into Royal The aim of the objectives and meas-
Decree 208/2005 of 25 February, on ures is to sever the link between eco-
waste electrical and electronic equip- nomic growth and its impact on human
ment (WEEE) and how to manage it. health and the environment associ-
The objectives to reach by 31 Decem- ated with the generation of waste. So
ber 2006 were: as to monitor and evaluate progress
in the application of prevention mea-
– Large electrical appliances and sures, the competent administration
vending machines; 75% recycling will determine those instruments that
target for each component, mate- make it possible to carry out periodicassessments of the progress made to Planning in Catalonia
date and may set specific objectives
and indicators. The evaluation of pre- • Municipal Waste Management Pro-
vention programmes will be carried gramme of Catalonia 2007-2012
out at least every six years and the (PROGREMIC), currently under revi-
results will be made available to the sion. The general objectives covered in
public. Economic, financial and fiscal the prevention sub-programme are as
measures may be introduced in order follows:
to promote waste prevention. – 10% per capita reduction, from 1.64
kg/person/day (2006) to 1.48 kg/
• Spanish Integrated Waste Plan (PNIR) person/day by 2012.
2008-2015. Urban and Household – 30% per capita reduction in the use
Waste. Text approved by the Cabinet in of plastic bags by 2009 and 50% by
December 2008. The Plan contains the 2012.
12
following objectives:
– Initially, stabilise the generation of
Hàbitat Urbà
urban waste produced by house- • Metropolitan Municipal Waste Man-
holds and then bring about further agement Plan 2009-2016 (PMGRM).
Environment and reductions. The following objectives are included
Urban Services
– Packaging: reduce waste tonnage by in the plan:
4% by 2012 compared with 2006. – General: 10% (or the maximum pos-
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
– Single-use shopping bags: reduce by sible) reduction in waste generation
2012-2020 50% from 2010. Timetable to sub- by means of five main waste frac-
stitute non-biodegradable bags and tions, taking into account the pre-
progressively ban them from 2010. vention potential for each fraction
– Increase the reuse of glass packag- set down in PROGREMIC.
ing for certain liquids, especially – OFMSW: promote home composting
those used in the hotels and res- in the 33 municipalities in the met-
taurants sector (HORECA), and in- ropolitan area to reach treatment
dustrial and commercial packaging targets (as stated in the Munici-
from 2011: water bottles 60%, soft pal Home Composting Plan: 15% in
drinks 80%, beer 80%, and wine 2012 and 25% in 2016.
50%. – Paper and cardboard: make produc-
ers of waste more responsible; back
initiatives that aim to help promote
a sense of responsibility among the
public; support initiatives that in-
crease the responsibility of inter-
mediate users of paper and card-
board (use and distribution).
– Glass: study the possibility of ex-
panding the deposit, return and
refund scheme (DDRS) in the res-
taurant industry; avoid incentivising
Integrated Management Systems
(SIGs) by encouraging local coun-
cils to apply charges for the use of
public roadways for glass recycling
containers.Figure 4: Potential for prevention in PROGREMIC 2007-2012 and related actions
Typical bag Potential for
composition Fraction prevention of over Actions
(2006 figures) 10%
• Promote home composting, especially in
Organic waste rural areas but also community compost-
36% 2
(OFMSW) ing in schools, green spaces, etc.
• Initiatives to combat wasting food. Initia-
tives involving the food bank (Banc dels
Aliments).
13
Paper and • Regulations affecting advertising material.
cardboard Study to look at implementing economic Hàbitat Urbà
18% (non-packaging) 2 instruments covering non-packaging paper.
Paper and card- • Campaigns to promote the responsible use
board (packaging) of paper. Dematerialisation of information. Environment and
Urban Services
Light packaging - • Waste prevention plans for businesses.
6% Waste Prevention
plastic • Promotion of eco-design.
Plan for Barcelona
Light packaging - • Presentation of a proposal to implement 2012-2020
4% 1 DDRS for material valorisation for specific
metal
types of packaging at state level.
Light packaging -
2% • Promotion of minimal packaging.
mixed
• Regulation of disposable plastic bags.
• Encouragement of the use of tap water in
homes by improving its quality.
Bulky items • Development of measures to promote
Wood reuse and repair, especially of furniture
Waste electrical and electrical and electronic equipment
27% and electronic 4 (WEEE).
equipment (WEEE) • Promotion of pilot schemes to encourage
Textiles the use of reusable nappies.
Sanitary textiles • Promotion of the reuse of clothing.
Rubble • Promotion of the consumption of
Other immaterial goods and their use as gifts.
100% Total 10Prevention in Barcelona’s Agenda 21
In May 2002, the Barcelona Council for 1. Separate economic development from
the Environment and Sustainability ap- the consumption of resources and the
proved the text for its Public Commit- generation of waste. Dematerialise
ment to Sustainability-Agenda 21, which consumption, moving towards user
was the result of more than three years’ IDs rather than ownership. Extend the
work by the Council and the subsequent service life of products (maintenance,
contributions from hundreds of organi- recovery, repair and reuse) and sharing
sations and thousands of people to de- products and services.
fine and agree on ten objectives for the
period between 2002 and 2012. The text 8. Introduce management models to
included a specific objective related to move towards zero waste: source pre-
14 the prevention and sustainable manage- vention and reduction plans, voluntary
ment of waste: “to reduce the production agreements, taxes, repair shops, in-
Hàbitat Urbà of waste and promote a culture or reuse troduction of schemes to return and
and recycling”. reuse packaging materials, phasing
Environment and out disposable bags, swap markets,
Urban Services When the timeframe of the original com- etc.
mitment ended in 2012, the document
Waste Prevention was updated and renewed for a further 10. Improve the management of waste by
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020 ten years, until 2022, again with the par- prioritising (in the following order) re-
ticipation of hundreds of organisations duction, reuse and recycling over en-
and groups in the city. Objective five on ergy valorisation. Extend composting.
the “rational use of resources” consid- Apply criteria of proximity and respon-
ers a range of actions where the need to sibility in waste treatment and the op-
reduce waste generation and to progress timisation of transport routes.
towards zero waste is one of the main
priorities for the years to come with re-
gard to waste management.1.4.
Powers of local authorities
Framework of powers • In this waste management model, and
in other actions outlined in article 6.1,
Decree 1/2009, of 21 July, which ap- it is clear that priority is given to pre-
proved the revised text of Law 6/1993, of vention.
5 July, on the regulation of waste, regu-
larises waste management in Catalonia • Section 3 of Article 6 states that the
within the framework of the Generali- hierarchy of waste management, in
tat’s powers on regional development, the order laid down in the decree, is
environmental protection and nature a priority in the environmental poli-
conservation. The decree defines the cies of the Generalitat and local au-
powers and, therefore, the functions of thorities and must be specified in the
local authorities with regard to waste plans and programmes concerned.
prevention and the development of ac- Providing reasons are given, plans
tions aimed at reaching the objectives and programmes can prioritise dif-
15
set down in PROGREMIC. ferent actions, as long as the objec-
tives set down in Article 2 are adhered
Hàbitat Urbà
• In accordance with article 42.1, as the to. Although there is the possibility
management of waste is the respon- for ambiguity with regard to the ob-
sibility of each municipality, local ligation of local authorities to draw Environment and
Urban Services
authorities have the power to put in up prevention plans (whether or not
place actions that will allow them to they are integrated into generic waste
Waste Prevention
reach the overall objectives set down management plans or programmes), Plan for Barcelona
in the management process. As a Article 6 allows public administra- 2012-2020
minimum requirement, municipalities tions to approve prevention plans and
need to provide selective collection programmes for a specific time pe-
services, and to transport, valorise riod, and with specific objectives, ac-
and dispose of waste. tions and resources, as explained in
the following point.
• Articles 42.3 a) and 42.4 state that lo-
cal authorities undertake to take own- • Public administrations need to specify
ership of waste providing it is available quantifiable prevention and valorisa-
for collection under the conditions laid tion targets in their management pro-
down in the applicable regulations and grammes and set aside the resources
that local authorities may oblige the to reach those objectives. Any plans
owners of waste that is dangerous or or programmes must, therefore, in-
difficult to collect, transport, valorise clude quantifiable prevention targets
or treat to manage the waste them- that make it possible to objectively
selves or adopt the necessary mea- monitor progress in actions and plan-
sures to facilitate its management. Lo- ning, and also to assign the necessary
cal authorities have to make a case for resources (economic, human or mate-
such requirements by justifying their rial) in order to reach the targets that
reasons based on the characteristics have been set.
of the waste and the impact it would
have on municipal services, on pub- Law 22/2011, of 28 July, on waste and
lic roadways or on the environment. contaminated soils, follows the same
These articles could form the basis for hierarchy as the European Directive on
promoting prevention habits or for the waste management and gives priority to
delivery of specific fractions in such a waste prevention and preparing for re-
way as makes it possible for them to use.
be reused, providing appropriate justi-
fication is given.With regard to prevention planning, Law Municipal limitation factors
22/2011 states that public administra-
tions have until 12 December 2013 to In the legal context outlined, it is impor-
approve waste prevention plans. It is tant to take into consideration municipal
the regional administrations that are re- powers (and their limitations) when es-
sponsible for preparing waste manage- tablishing actions in Barcelona’s waste
ment plans. Amongst other points, the prevention plan. There are limitations of
plans need to include measures direct- a generalised nature when trying to in-
ed at facilitating prevention, reuse and fluence the consumption habits of con-
preparation for the reuse of waste. Tar- sumers.
gets set down by law need to be included
in the plans. However, the legislation also • As income per capita increases, so
specifies that local authorities, within do purchases of consumer goods (not
the framework of their powers, may draw to mention services), which subse-
16
up waste management programmes in quently result in waste. Therefore, the
accordance with both the Spanish Plan strategy involves separating GDP and
Hàbitat Urbà
and regional waste plans. waste production.
Environment and With regard to targets, the law estab- • The range of products offered by the
Urban Services
lishes that prevention plans need to con- market limits the options of consum-
sider measures aimed at bringing about ers when making choices inasmuch
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
a 10% reduction in the weight of waste as stimulating consumption promotes
2012-2020 by 2020 compared with 2010. As a final packaging, over-packaging, dispos-
point, the legislation states that the aim able products, short-life products,
of the objectives is to break the link be- etc. Thus, bulk products, large items,
tween economic growth and the impact and those that are re-usable and/or
on human health and on the environment returnable, etc., have a lower market
associated with the production of waste. share.
• In addition, certain products are de-
signed to have a limited service life
either on account of the quality of the
components that are used or by the
marketing strategies employed, and
are based on programmed obsoles-
cence.
• The availability of repair/restoration
services has decreased because it is
often cheaper to replace an item than
to repair it.There are also limitations of a specific Finally, there are limitations related to
nature when trying to promote certain management instruments, such as:
types of actions, for example:
• Regulations, including planning regu-
• The difficulties of taking measures in lations: new regulations and a new
the market and the production of dif- approach are starting to emerge that
ferent consumer goods, factors that provide support for an action frame-
may have an impact on free competi- work that promotes initiatives at local
tion. level and beyond.
• The technical limitations in promot- • Operational limitations: prevention
ing and implementing deposit, return is a stage that really begins to gather
and refund schemes (DRRS) that are momentum as part of the manage-
not operational at local level as larger ment function. There are a number
17
markets are needed to be viable (pref- of areas where there is a lack of ex-
erably, at state level). Furthermore, perience or where initiatives have not
Hàbitat Urbà
producers and distributors exert yet been implemented. As a conse-
pressure to avoid a return to previous quence, tools and working methods
deposit systems, even though there have not yet been fully consolidated. Environment and
Urban Services
is provision for such systems in the
packaging law itself. • Economic, technical and organisa-
Waste Prevention
tional limitations: these relate to eco- Plan for Barcelona
nomic, human and material resources 2012-2020
to develop prevention actions, and to
administrative organisation at intra-
municipal level as well as at higher
levels.Figure 5: Local waste prevention measures
Technical
Technical measures aim to, for example, bring
about a reduction in the consumption of natural
resources, minimise the content of hazardous
substances and reduce the quantity of end waste.
• Environmentally friendly shopping
• Best practices in municipal buildings
• Organisation of public events
• Home composting, food banks
18
• Best available technologies (BATs)
• Eco-design
Hàbitat Urbà • Waste prevention plans for businesses
Environment and
Urban Services
Waste Prevention Economic Educational and communication
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
The objective of economic measures is to bring Educational and communication measures aim
about a change in the behaviour of the agents to change the behaviour of the agents involved
involved by means of financial compensation or by providing information about the environmen-
penalties. tal impact associated with waste generation, the
• Environmental taxes: taxes associated with benefits of prevention and what action can be
the generation of waste (payment per bag, taken.
per adhesive label or per container, etc.) • Communications campaigns
• Exemptions and rebates for implementing • Courses, conferences, workshops and seminars
prevention actions • Guides and manuals
• Deposit systems • Reports and press articles
• Subsidies • Exhibitions
Regulatory Organisational
Regulatory measures aim to bring about a change This set of objectives aims to establish an orga-
in the behaviour of the agent involved by means nisational system in order to coordinate the va-
of the introduction of local regulations covering rious agents, institutions and processes involved
waste prevention. in waste prevention.
• Byelaws for the prevention of municipal waste • Cooperation partnerships
• Specific byelaws to regulate the use of reus- • Voluntary agreements
able crockery at festive events, home compost- • Monitoring committees
ing, the banning of the distribution of commer- • Working groups
cial advertising to households, etc.
Source: Guide to the Development of Local Plans for the Prevention of Municipal Waste. Waste Agency of Catalonia.2. DIAGNOSIS
The generation of municipal waste in Barcelona
2.1.
Collection types and services
Having a detailed knowledge of the type Cleaning public spaces and the man-
and characteristics of municipal waste agement of different types of municipal
makes it possible not only to produce waste produced in the city is the respon-
accurate action plans aimed at reducing sibility of Barcelona City Council. How-
waste generation and promoting the re- ever, the collection and transportation
covery and reuse of resources, but also to treatment facilities of the different
to apply the most suitable prevention waste fractions can be carried out by ei-
mechanisms in each case to minimise ther the local authority or be delegated to
the production of source waste. The vol- a private company or social organisation
ume of waste produced annually, and by means of contracts or agreements for
consumption guidelines for the public, a specific period of time, depending on
facilitate the adoption of prevention each fraction and/or waste producer.
measures, although more needs to be
known about municipal waste flows. Taking into consideration the range of
19
uses and functions of the city’s build-
A description follows of the city’s waste ings, facilities and spaces - each with its
Hàbitat Urbà
collection system. The key annual waste own characteristics regarding the vol-
generation figures are given as a total ume and nature of the waste generated
and by fraction, and approximate envi- – there are a number of different types of Environment and
Urban Services
ronmental and financial costs of manag- collection aimed at collecting municipal
ing this waste are given. waste effectively and efficiently, promot-
Waste Prevention
ing selective collection, and supporting Plan for Barcelona
the reintroduction into the productive 2012-2020
and consumption cycle of all resources
that have not come to the end of their
productive life. These collection types
are:
• Household collections. These apply to
waste produced by a group of house-
holds in the city and also to busi-
nesses and services that do not have
a specific commercial waste service.
Collection is mainly by means of bins,
although some parts of the city also
have manual collection and pneu-
matic rubbish collection systems. The
services are carried out by companies
that have been awarded tender con-
tracts that are periodically reviewed
by the Council. Each company is re-
sponsible for collecting the waste in
particular zones in the city, in accord-
ance with technical and management
efficiency criteria.
The household rubbish collection sys-
tem allows residents to separate their
rubbish into different fractions so as
to promote the selective collection of
recoverable waste while, at the sametime, reducing the volume and diver- • Other collections. This section looks at
sity of waste that reaches treatment waste collection in the Parks and Gar-
facilities. The fractions are as follows: dens of Barcelona City Council (mostly
organic matter (OFMSW), glass, pack- organic waste and other waste), Mer-
aging, paper/cardboard, and other cabarna (other, organic waste and
waste. paper/cardboard), and private collec-
tions carried out mainly by social enti-
• Commercial. Commercial waste com- ties (clothing, paper/cardboard, dead
prises waste produced by businesses animals, etc.).
for which the council has devised a
specific type of collection service, by In addition to the four collection types
shopping centres, and by business described above, the Council also pro-
and industrial centres that gener- vides two services that make it possible
ate waste as part of their commercial to separate waste that, on account of its
20
activity. It also includes separate col- particular characteristics, should not be
lection of specific fractions: organic included in the ‘other waste’ fraction.
Hàbitat Urbà
waste, packaging, glass, paper/card-
board, and other. • Green points. Green points allow for
Environment and the disposal of waste that should
Urban Services
Any business that generates waste not be disposed of in street bins. The
can use the municipal waste collec- city has seven zonal green points, 22
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
tion service assigned to it based on neighbourhood green points, and 96
2012-2020 the quantity of waste it produces and stopping points for mobile units. There
on the business’ location. Alternative- are also two mobile green points that
ly, businesses can manage their own can be requested by schools, civic or-
waste collection by using a company ganisations or associations.
authorised by the Waste Agency of
Catalonia and accrediting the man- • Collection of bulky items (furniture
agement system used by means of and junk).
the appropriate documentation. Some There is a free service which assigns a
commercial waste producers that use specific day for each street and also a
municipal waste collection services payment-on-delivery system.
choose to use the services provided in
their particular zone. Others choose to
use specific services that take specific
routes for different fractions, depend-
ing on their location or on the scale of
their business.
• Markets. This covers the waste gener-
ated by the city’s 40 municipal mar-
kets and street markets and fairs, with
the exception of Mercabarna, which
has its own collection system. Market
collections also distinguish between
organic, paper/cardboard and other
waste.What is actually meant by municipal waste?
Municipal waste* is taken to mean Given its strategic importance and the
waste that is produced by households, degree to which it is present in society,
businesses, offices and services, as well municipal waste is subject to a specific
as waste that is not regarded as special management programme, infrastruc-
waste and, by its nature or composition, ture plan, and management model. The
may be similar to the waste produced current management model and the
by households, businesses, offices and foundations for planning are based on,
services. Waste collected from cleaning amongst other factors, principles of
streets, green spaces, recreational areas proximity, sufficiency and responsibility
and beaches is also considered munici- of waste producers, as well as on the hi-
pal waste, as are dead pets; abandoned erarchy established for different forms
21
furniture, junk, or vehicles; waste and of management that give priority to pre-
rubble from minor domestic building and vention actions and to selective collec-
Hàbitat Urbà
repair work. tion.
A subgroup of this kind of waste com- Environment and
Urban Services
prises commercial waste, defined as
waste generated by retail and wholesale
Waste Prevention
activities, and by hotels, bars, markets, Plan for Barcelona
offices and services. From a manage- 2012-2020
ment perspective, industrial waste that * In accordance with Article 3 of Legislative Decree
is regarded as being similar to municipal 1/2009, of 21 July, approving the recast text of the
waste is comparable with this subgroup. law regulating waste.
Text taken from the website of the Waste Agency of Catalonia (www.arc-cat.net).
Figure 6: Types of waste producers and the associated fractions
Fractions
Type / service Paper/ Gardening
(OFMSW) Glass Packaging Volume Clothing Others* Rubbish
cardboard waste
Door to door
Commercial and
economic activity
Markets
Mercabarna
Parks and Gardens
Private collections
* Collected fractions at Green Points2.2
Trends and the composition
of waste
Trends in waste generation In absolute terms, 804,920 tonnes of
waste were generated in 2011, an in-
Socioeconomic changes over recent crease of 4% compared with 2001
years have had a significant influence (774,023 tonnes), with the peak record-
on trends in municipal waste genera- ed in 2007 (898,452.9 tonnes). In other
tion in large cities such as Barcelona. words, between 2007 and 2011, the vol-
The favourable socioeconomic context ume of municipal waste fell by 93,500
(up until, approximately, 2007) contrib- tonnes. If the trend in waste generation
uted to high consumption of all kinds of is compared with population numbers
products by consumers. This led to a sig- (between 2001 and 2011 the population
nificant increase in the tonnage of waste increased by 110,600, from 1,505,325 to
collected by municipal services. With the 1,615,985), it can be seen that, over re-
start of the economic crisis, however, cent years, the trend has been almost
consumption – and the resulting gen- inversely proportional, which is also re-
22
eration of waste – began to fall, reach- flected in waste generation per capita.
ing levels seen at the start of the decade,
Hàbitat Urbà
despite the number of inhabitants in the In this respect, the amount of waste per
city remaining roughly the same. person was 498.3 kg (1.36 kg/day), the
Environment and lowest figure since 2001, and the first
Urban Services
In broad terms, therefore, the generation time the figure was less than 510 kg. The
of waste in Barcelona between 2001 and peak was in 2007, when the figure was
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2011 can be divided into three, clearly 563.2 kg/year (1.54 kg/day). Compared
2012-2020 differentiated stages. The first, between with 2001, waste per capita fell by 15.9
2001 (and before) and 2003, when there kg/year (from 514.2 kg to 498.3 kg).
was appreciable growth in the produc-
tion of waste of more than 100,000
tonnes. The second, between 2003 and
2007, during which time the increase
was lower, with the trend stabilising at
the end of the period. And the third, from
2007, when waste generation fell signifi-
cantly to the same level as that seen in
2002-2003.Figure 7: Types of waste producers and the associated fractions (2001-2011)
Population Total waste (tonnes)
1,650,000 920,000
1,625,000 900,000
880,000
1,600,000
860,000
1,575,000
840,000
1,550,000 820,000
1,525,000 800,000
780,000
1,500,000 23
760,000
1,475,000
740,000 Hàbitat Urbà
1,450,000 720,000
1,425,000 700,000 Environment and
Urban Services
year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
population 1,505,325 1,527,190 1,582,738 1,582,546 1,593,075 1,605,602 1,595,110 1,615,908 1,621,537 1,619,337 1,615,985
waste (t) 774,023 783,677 860,337 874,447 882,460 879,092 898,453 894,738 864,758 844,055 804,921 Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
Source: Barcelona City Council.
Figure 8: Total waste generation per capita in Barcelona (2001-2011)
Total waste (tonnes) Waste per person (kg/person/day)
900,000 1,60
875,000 1,55
850,000 1,50
825,000 1,45
800,000 1,40
775,000 1,35
750,000 1,30
725,000 1,25
700,000 1,20
year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
total waste (t) 774,023 786,675 860,338 874,447 882,460 879,092 898,453 894,738 864,758 844,054 804,921
kg/person/day 1.41 1.40 1.49 1.52 1.52 1.50 1.54 1.52 1.46 1.43 1.36
Source: Barcelona City Council.Changes in collection models and municipal management
Besides the changes in municipal waste for businesses (inspections, awareness,
production trends in Barcelona over re- etc.), the introduction of selective col-
cent years, note should be taken of the lections in markets (paper/cardboard
improvements introduced in the pro- and organic matter), and the expansion
cesses and services involved in munici- and consolidation of the network of
pal waste collection and management green points throughout the city (fixed
in changing the habits and behavioural points and mobile points).
patterns of the public and economic and
social actors with regard to the selective In general, the active involvement of the
collection and recovery of resources that public in selective collection, largely as
24 have not come to the end of the lifecycle. the result of communication campaigns
that have helped create a favourable so-
Hàbitat Urbà The main contributing factors have been cial context, and cooperation with hun-
the gradual roll-out of collections of dreds of organisations, entities, compa-
Environment and
organic matter since 2001 to the point nies and institutions involved in waste
Urban Services where (as of 2010) they extend across generation in the city, have consolidated
the whole city, improvements in the new values and concepts that the eco-
Waste Prevention management of commercial waste col- nomic crisis has helped to bring about.
Plan for Barcelona lection, progress in selective collections
2012-2020Waste generation by collection type Turning to other types of collection,
waste from markets accounted for 2.3%
Household waste collections accounted of the total (17,278 tonnes) with the peak
for 75.3% (561,322.2 tonnes) of municipal (of 23,506.5 tonnes) recorded in 2002.
waste in 2011, with the peak of 671,615 Waste collected at green points was
tonnes recorded in 2001. The generation 2.4% (18,179 tonnes), with the peak of
of household waste per capita in 2011 20,945 tonnes seen in 2008. Bulky items
was 347.4 kg/year, the lowest since 2001, accounted for 3.6% (27,063 tonnes), with
and the first time the figure was below 1 the peak of 31,803 tonnes recorded in
kg a day (950 g/person/day). 2006. The category of ‘other waste’ (pri-
vate collections, Parks and Gardens and
Commercial waste comprised 7.8% Mercabarna) accounted for the remain-
(57,915 tonnes) and peaked in 2008 at ing 8.6% (63,895 tonnes).
60,849.4 tonnes thanks to improvements
25
in collection processes and systems.
The reduction in waste volume over re-
* The Municipal Waste Management Programme Hàbitat Urbà
cent years is probably associated with
of Catalonia 2007-2012 (PROGREMIC) refers to
the economic crisis. Overall commercial a number of studies carried out in the Europe-
and economic activity was responsible an Union that note that the weight of domestic Environment and
waste accounts for 15% to 30% of total municipal Urban Services
for 16.3% of the total waste collected in
waste. Given its urban, demographic and socio-
Barcelona. However, taking into account economic characteristics, Barcelona is probably
Waste Prevention
that not all the sector’s waste is separat- at the upper end of this range. The PROGREMIC Plan for Barcelona
ed before collection, with part of it being programme uses an average value of 21%, based 2012-2020
on a study of commercial waste production in
considered household waste, the actual Catalonia conducted in 2006 by the Waste Agency
volume is certainly considerably higher*. of Catalonia.
Figure 9: Total municipal waste by collection type (2001/2006/2011)
Type / service 2001 2006 2011
Household 671,615.8 652,416.3 561,322.2
Commercial 20,831.6 52,888.6 57,915.2
Markets 22,106.2 21,979.1 17,278.6
Green points 12,626.1 17,392.1 18,179.2
Bulky items 22,767.8 31,803.2 27,063.7
Other collections* – 72,885.1 63,895.2
Total tonnage 749,947.5 849,364.4 745,654.1
* Mercabarna, private collections, other collections from the city’s parks and gardens. Includes the collection of dead animals.
Source: Barcelona City Council.Figure 10: Collection types as a percentage of total waste (2001/2011)
%
100
90
80
70
60
50
26 40
30
Hàbitat Urbà
20
Environment and 10
Urban Services
0
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona Household Commercial Markets Green points Large items Other
2012-2020 2001 89.6 2.8 2.9 1.7 3.0
2004 78.5 5.2 2.6 1.8 3.6 8.3
2008 76.0 7.1 2.4 2.4 3.5 8.6
2011 75.3 7.8 2.3 2.4 3.6 8.6
Source: Barcelona City Council.Selective collection
One of the most positive facts over re-
cent years with regard to the genera-
tion of municipal waste in Barcelona
is the gradual increase in the tonnage
of selective waste collections. While
100,713 tonnes were collected in 2001,
the percentage rose to 304,749 tonnes
in 2011, an increase of 202%. Selective
waste collections have, thus, gone from
representing 13% of municipal waste
to almost 38%. Meanwhile, the ‘other
waste’ fraction reduced by 35% between
27
2001 and 2011, from 673,308 tonnes to
500,171.3 tonnes. In terms of selective
Hàbitat Urbà
collection per capita in absolute terms,
the figure went from 67 kg of waste per
person in 2001 (180 grams per person/ Environment and
Urban Services
day) to more than 188 kg/person in 2011
(520 grams per person/day), with peak
Waste Prevention
recovery of 206 kg/person seen in 2010 Plan for Barcelona
(0.56 g/person/day). 2012-2020
Figure 11: Total municipal waste produced by fraction (2001/2006/2011)
Fractions 2001 2006 2011
Organic waste (OFMSW) 14,098.7 86,207.7 133,343.8
Paper/cardboard 27,253.0 85,944.5 67,219.3
Glass 16,774.1 25,901.1 32,854.2
Packaging 8,080.3 14,086.0 20,559.8
Large items 22,767.8 31,803.2 27,063.7
Clothing and textiles 23.8 1,466.5 1,704.7
Other selective 11,716.1 21,863.9 22,003.8
Total waste (tonnes) 100,713.3 267,272.9 304,749.3
Population 1,505,325 1,605,602 1,615,448
kg/person/year 66.88 167.1 188.6
kg/person/day 0.18 0.46 0.52
Source: Barcelona City Council.Figure 12: Trend in total selective collection per capita (2001-2011)
kg/person/year
225
200
175
150
125
100
28 75
50
Hàbitat Urbà
25
Environment and
0
Urban Services
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
kg/person/year 66.9 79.1 130.2 146.8 159.3 167.1 180.0 179.3 172.8 206.2 188.6
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
Source: Barcelona City Council.
Figure 13: Trends in the amount of other waste and selective collections as a percentage of the total (2001-2011)
%
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Other waste 87.0 84.6 76.0 73.5 71.2 69.6 68.0 67.6 67.6 60.5 62.1
Selective 13.0 15.4 24.0 26.5 28.8 30.4 32.0 32.4 32.4 39.5 37.9
Source: Barcelona City Council.In 2011, organic matter accounted for These percentage variations are essen-
43.8% of the total (14% in 2001), with tially related to the increase in absolute
the peak recorded in 2010 following the and relative figures for organic matter,
launch of collections throughout the which was the fraction that underwent
city. The figures for other fractions were: the highest percentage increase be-
paper/cardboard 22.1% (27.2% in 2001); tween 2001 and 2011 (845%), with two
glass 10.8% (16.5% in 2001); packaging significant quantitative increases: in
6.7% (8.0% in 2001); large items 8.9% 2003 and 2010. The figures for paper/
(22.6% in 2001); clothing and textiles cardboard and packaging were 146%
0.6%; and other waste fractions 7.2%. and 154% higher, respectively.
29
Figure 14: Percentage of different fractions over total waste collected by selective collection (2011)
Hàbitat Urbà
Environment and
Urban Services
Organic waste (OFMSW) 43.8%
Paper and cardboard 22.1% Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
Glass 10.8% 2012-2020
Packaging 6.7%
Bulky items 8.9%
Clothing and textiles 0.6%
Other fractions 7.2%
Source: Barcelona City Council.Comparison between the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and Catalonia
If we put the generation of municipal that comprise the Barcelona Metropoli-
waste per capita in Barcelona into a wid- tan Area (1.36 kg/person/day compared
er context, it can be seen that the trend with 1.29 kg/person/day). However, the
over recent years puts the city below the downward trend in total municipal waste
average for Catalonia (1.36 kg/person/ over recent years has been similar for all
day compared with 1.47 kg/person/day) three areas.
but above the group of municipalities
30
Figure 15: Comparison of waste generation between Barcelona, Barcelona Metropolitan Area and Catalonia
Hàbitat Urbà
kg/person/day
1.8
Environment and 1.66 1.64 1.64 1.64
Urban Services 1.6 1.59
1.52 1.52 1.54 1.52 1.54 1.53
1.48 1.5 1.47
1.44 1.43 1.46 1.46 1.43
1.42
1.4 1.38 1.35 1.36
Waste Prevention 1.29
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020 1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Barcelona Barcelona Metropolitan Area Catalonia
Sources: Barcelona City Council / EMSHTR / ARC.
Figure 16: Degree of compliance with PMGRM and PROGREMIC objectives
PMGRM and PROGREMIC Percentages achieved
objectives
Barcelona 2011 AMB 2011 CAT 2011
Organic waste 55% 46.0% 31.5% 28.2%
Paper and cardboard 75% 46.4% 37.2% 56.1%
Glass 75% 58.3% 51.3% 63.8%
Packaging 25% 21.3% 28.1% 28.2%
Sources: Barcelona City Council / EMSHTR / ARC.Municipal waste in a typical rubbish bag
The composition of waste in Catalo- In the framework of this Plan, a typical
nia has undergone significant change, bag for Barcelona has been determined
mainly due to changes in the consump- based on the collections of various spe-
tion habits of consumers, as reflected in cific and non-specific fractions. This
the contents of a typical rubbish bag in data is essential to calculate the Plan’s
Catalonia used for the various municipal prevention potential targets and to eval-
waste management programmes con- uate action effectiveness.
ducted in Catalonia over recent years.
31
Hàbitat Urbà
Figure 17: Typical municipal waste bag for Barcelona and for Catalonia (2011)
(PROGREMIC 2007-2012)
Environment and
Urban Services
Waste Prevention
Plan for Barcelona
2012-2020
Typical bag - Barcelona
Paper and cardboard 20.7 %
Glass 6.8 %
Packaging (plastic and metal) 10.0 %
Organic waste (OFMSW) 33.0 %
Other 29.5 %
Typical bag - Catalonia
Paper and cardboard 18 %
Glass 7%
Light packaging 12%
Organic waste (OFMSW) 36 %
Other 27 %
Sources: Barcelona City Council/Waste Agency of Catalonia.Examples of activity centres that produce waste in Barcelona
Waste from offices and hotels
Barcelona is engaged in a process of Hotel activity as a whole also produces
tertiarisation of economic activity and a significant amount of waste. According
maintenance of central offices and busi- to average core data, waste can be cal-
ness decision-making centres, which culated at 2 kg per overnight stay for ho-
have moved their production centres tels of two, three or four stars. However,
to other municipalities, meaning office the data for Barcelona hotels with mana-
waste has taken on greater importance. gement systems that are EMAS-certified
shows that waste can be reduced to 1 kg
32 An office is capable of generating 50- per overnight stay.
100 kg of waste per employee in a year.
Hàbitat Urbà Although waste is mixed, paper/card- Taking into account the number of over-
board (70-80%) predominates, along night stays in hotels in Barcelona recor-
Environment and
with packaging waste, especially in ded in 2011, the volume of waste gene-
Urban Services terms of volume. Furthermore, a certain rated ranges from between 18,000 and
proportion of the waste includes office 28,000 tonnes a year - approximately
Waste Prevention and IT consumables, small electronic between 2.2% and 3.5% of all waste ge-
Plan for Barcelona items and components, etc., some of nerated in the city.
2012-2020
which are hazardous or dangerous and
require specific handling.
Figure 18: Composition of waste from offices Figure 19: Composition of waste from hotels
Paper 33.0 % Cartons 33.0 % OFMSW 50 % Light packaging 7 %
Cardboard 20.7 % OFMSW 20.7 % Paper/cardboard 30 % Other 7%
Glass 6.8 % Office waste 6.8 % Glass 7%
Metal 10.0 % Other materials 10.0 %
Plastic 29.5 %
Source: Environmental Education Guides, no. 25. The Source: Environmental Education Guides, no. 36. More
Green Service for Companies in the Office Sector. Sustainable Hotels.You can also read
