How to prevent littering around recycling points
Norwaste and Hold Norway Clean, with funding from the Retailers' Environmental Fund, have produced the report "Prevention of littering around recycling points." The report offers various measures and advice aimed at assisting municipalities and waste management companies in reducing littering. Sirkel, Fretex, and Sandnes Municipality have also contributed to the project.

The return points for glass and metal packaging, as well as textile collection points, are areas where other waste is often left behind, making them hot spots for littering. This is a well-known problem for municipalities and entities managing return points. The extent of the littering problem has been poorly documented, and there is little systematic knowledge about it. Norwaste and Hold Norge Rent have sought to address this issue and, in 2022, mapped littering around return points for glass and metal packaging, as well as textiles.

The purpose of the project has been to compile knowledge about this littering in order to develop targeted measures and advice against littering at return points. Eight selected return points for glass and metal packaging, as well as textile collection, in Sandnes municipality were regularly observed and mapped for litter quantity over a period of four weeks in September 2022. The waste was examined in a litter analysis. In general, less littering was observed at return points with buried waste solutions and return points with few containers. There was also a tendency to more littering at return points for clothing collection. The littering seemed to originate from private individuals, with much of the waste being related to families with young children. Large items and furniture (bulky waste) were the largest category and accounted for 60% of the waste by weight.

Composition of littered waste around return points for glass and metal packaging in kilograms
Furniture and items for families with young children were recurring among the waste left behind.

There was also a recurring pattern of non-packaging glass and metal being left at the return points. Much of this consisted of larger items, such as glass panels that couldn't fit into the return point. Textile items were also found in several locations, even at return points without textile collection. Norwaste estimated that a minimum of 20 percent of the waste left could have been reused.

The waste analyzed was also counted, and in terms of quantity, plastic was the largest category. Single-use plastics (as defined in the SUP Directive) and other types of plastic comprised 40 percent of the items. Plastic packaging, hard plastic toys, or other hard plastic items made up the majority of the plastic waste.

Littered waste around return points for glass and metal packaging by quantity

A survey was also conducted among municipalities and municipal waste companies from June to September 2022. The survey confirmed that littering is a problem. Most respondents believed that poor attitudes among residents were the cause of littering. Other reasons mentioned included the secluded placement of return points, the cost of delivering waste to recycling stations, or full return points. Among the measures that could reduce littering, camera surveillance with voice activation was ranked as the most effective by respondents. Despite littering being perceived as a problem, few municipalities or waste companies had an overview of how much waste was cleared and the cost of cleanup efforts.

In recent years, some municipalities have moved away from shared return points and towards individual containers for each household. 50% of municipalities or waste companies that had shifted away from shared return points cited littering as a significant reason for changing the service. It was also reported that the shift to individual containers had led to more sorted glass and metal, as well as cost savings in cleaning up litter.

Based on the findings from the survey, the report presents 11 proposals for preventive measures against littering. Among the measures considered most effective was replacing shared return points for glass and metal packaging with a home collection service. Clean and tidy return points were also evaluated as a simple and effective measure. Clean and, importantly, well-organized return points that give residents a sense of being observed help to increase the "barrier" to littering. People are less likely to litter if they feel they are being watched and don't want to be the first to litter or be seen doing so.

The proposed measures in the report were:

  • Replace return points for glass and metal packaging with a collection service
  • Replace textile return points with alternative collection methods
  • Ensure clean return points in tidy surroundings
  • Transition to buried waste bins for glass and metal
  • Improve the placement of return points
  • Fewer and more spaced-out collection units per location.
  • Provide suitable containers for small litter at return points
  • Make residents feel observed
  • Further improve waste management offerings
  • Disseminate knowledge about the available waste sorting and disposal services in the municipality
  • Clear and consistent information at return points regarding what items should be deposited

The entire report can be downloaded here (only in Norwegian): Prevention of littering around return points

Based on the report, Hold Norway Rent has also developed a brochure with guidance and measures for municipalities, available for download at their webpage.r

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