(best examples and good practices) on household organic waste ...

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implemented curbside collection of material which falls under producers’
responsibility, from apartment blocks <strong>and</strong> detached house properties, a
collection system which is becoming more common. (AÖS., 2009)
Almost half of all municipalities in the country now have collection systems for
source separated food waste. The most common collection systems are
collections with separate containers, one for bio-waste <strong>and</strong> one for combustible
waste, collections with a multi-compartment system, or through optical sorting
of different colored bags that are placed into the same container. The most
common ways to collect the household waste in bins <strong>and</strong> bags is either as a
mixed waste fraction intended for waste-to energy incineration, or through two
separated waste fractions – one for food waste <strong>and</strong> one for combustible waste.
Collection in bags constitutes a working environment risk <strong>and</strong> has therefore
become considerably less common. Mixed combustible waste from singlefamily
houses is in most cases collected in 190 liter wheelie bins <strong>and</strong> emptied
every other week. Other than this, there are a number of different bag <strong>and</strong> bin
sizes which are collected <strong>and</strong> emptied in various intervals. Waste from
apartment blocks is normally collected weekly. Traditional back loading
vehicles are still the most common when it comes to waste collection, but the
technology for multi-compartmented vehicles is developing <strong>and</strong> becoming
more <strong>and</strong> more popular, while side-loading vehicles account for a more
constant share of the operators’ vehicle fleet. An increasing number of vehicles
use biogas as fuel, which the local authorities may control through purchasing
requirements. (AÖS., 2009)
Today collection of waste with bags has been reduced. Manual h<strong>and</strong>ling of
waste is being replaced by new technology <strong>and</strong> automated systems, such as
refuse vacuum pipes <strong>and</strong> underground container systems. Both of these
systems are becoming more common, particularly in bigger cities. One of
several advantages is that they do not require heavy manual h<strong>and</strong>ling. From the
point of view of health <strong>and</strong> safety at work, vacuum collection systems are <strong>good</strong>
since they are sealed <strong>and</strong> completely automated. This type of collection system
reduces the need for waste transportation, especially in residential areas.
There are two kinds of vacuum collection systems, a stationary system <strong>and</strong> a
mobile system. With the stationary system the waste is collected using air in an
automated vacuum system. It is thereafter transported through underground
tubes, which connect the inlets with big containers placed in a terminal. With
this technique the waste can be transported up to a distance of two kilometers
from the inlets. The number of containers varies <strong>and</strong> depends, on the one h<strong>and</strong>,