RezeroLab Dades

Municipal waste is all waste generated in private homes, businesses, offices and other services, and all waste generated in municipalities that is comparable to that produced in these spaces.

Waste production is a complex parameter that depends on many other variables, such as the economic situation, the legal instruments implemented, the evolution of environmental awareness among citizens, tourism, etc.
GDP is one of the parameters that is observed to have a closer relationship with waste generation.

The residual fraction is that which includes all the waste that has not been collected in the selective collection fractions and that, therefore, cannot receive quality recycling.
Moving towards a zero waste society means reducing as much as possible the amount of waste collected with the residual fraction.

The generation of waste is closely linked to the demographic pressure of a territory.

In the case of the Balearic Islands, the influx of tourism represents a significant increase in waste generation per capita in some months of the year, a fact that can lead to the collapse of waste management and treatment facilities.

Industrial waste is considered all waste resulting from a manufacturing process, or generated in an industrial facility and that is not comparable to municipal waste.

Construction waste is considered all waste generated in a construction or demolition work.

This is a fraction of waste of great relevance in the total waste generated, due to its high weight, and which has a great potential for reuse if managed correctly. Their generation is usually closely linked to the evolution of the real estate market.

In the European hierarchy of waste management, reuse and preparation for reuse occupy one of the main rungs, being the most important actions after waste prevention. Even so, it is observed how, in practice, they do not have a significant representation within the current management system.

To guarantee the reintroduction to the market of materials with the potential to be reused and to boost second-hand markets, measures must be adopted to increase the quality and quantity of their selective collection. It is necessary to highlight the high potential for job creation which involves the recovery and repair of materials.

The main premise of the circular economy is that waste is resources that can be used more than once within the system and generate new value. In this way, economic growth is decoupled from the extraction of new natural resources. The reuse of packaging is the cornerstone of this approach, taking into account the volume of waste associated with products packaging.

Although the reuse of beverage containers allows a reduction on waste generation, greenhouse gases and save costs compared to the use of single use plastic, cans or glass containers, its market share is still too low.

Food waste year after year generates the loss of thousands of tons of food, the generation of large quantities of organic waste and large economic losses, due to a deficient food production, distribution and consumption system.

This selective collection indicator shows the percentage of municipal waste that is collected separately by citizens and businesses in order to be able to recycle it, and thus save resources and energy necessary for the manufacture of products.

All selectively collected waste fractions present a percentage of waste that has been thrown away in that fraction despite not belonging to the typology of materials it groups together. These waste are called improper and determine the quality of the selective collection. This aspect is especially relevant for the organic fraction.

Proper waste management plays a key role in the development of the circular economy.

The generation of packaging waste is affected both by consumer behavior and by producers’ own production and distribution strategies. In addition, much of this packaging is made of plastic, generating waste that is difficult to recycle and potentially hazardous to the environment and human health.

It is therefore necessary to implement more stringent measures to reduce packaging waste and to promote improved recycling and recovery.