Urban waste problem in tourist cities and new concepts of waste minimization

Abstract

The urban waste in tourist cities needs comprehensive global research efforts and proceeded action as for metropolitan areas huge impact and load on waste management is generated. Waste management and resource conservation strategies are prepared in state-of-the-art level however implementation and future improvement of the current situation is crucial. Beside the collection of data for information base, analysis on selected pilot cities and metropolitan areas in terms of environmental impacts, social and economic aspects have been done. Best-practice examples in waste prevention and management for better tourism, waste and resource management are provided in the paper.

What we need is policy and tools based on information gathered by scientists, municipal and NGOs experience (e.g. separation of biowaste in catering industries, “sin-wastes” as from the bars, nightclubs and smoker places, reuse of unnecessary items that can serve for others and many more). However, regulatory instruments (e.g. ban of plastic bags, reduction of allowed biowaste in landfilling), economic instruments (taxes) and voluntary agreements (e.g. deposit systems. Cleaning actions by volunteers) should be used to implement and elaborate. Waste management and prevention practices in tourist metropolitan cities shall first of all be concentrated to deal with food waste prevention, management, special practices for festival waste and large amount specific waste generating facilities (e.g., entertainment industry, cruises etc.). The low-waste organisation of events and the promotion of re-use activities as well as waking of consumer consciousness are the positive trends. Eco-labelling and accompanying roadmaps shall lead the theory to the action. Entertainment and hospitality industries in concert with food and catering entrepreneurs do compete for better and greener marketing. The future outlook may be concentrated on digitalizing of waste flows and using the “big data” concept for better and smarter waste management.  

Pilot studies were done in frame of the HORIZON2020 “Urban Strategies for Waste Management in Tourist Cities” as well as Swedish Institute supported activities in projects “PECEC” and “LASUWAMA”. Additionally the authors performed studies in Tenerife, Nice, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Perth, Brussels, Copenhagen, Riga and many other tourist metropolitan areas through field studies on waste management and minimization activities in real life.