North Somerset Council, GB experiments with Quatro waste bin system for improved recycling rates
The four-week trial swaps curbside collection bins for a single four-compartment bin at participating addresses. Quatro bins are collected by a specialized truck with storage designed for waste separation. North Somerset Council will survey participants for their views on the benefits and issues with the new bins. The first-in-UK pilot also generates data for comparisons of collection vehicle emissions and bin contamination with households using multiple bins.
North Somerset Council, GB
United Kingdom
Collie, WA converts household and forest waste into energy with its new Resource Recovery Centre
Collie's collaboration with Renergi resulted in a waste-to-energy facility within its landfill. Household, forest, and agriculture waste will be converted into byproducts like biochar and wood vinegar for local industries. The Resource Recovery Centre can process 1.5 tons of waste per hour with an emission savings of up to 18,000 tons per year. An estimated 12,000 tons of waste will be diverted from landfills each year and help Collie transition away from coal-fired power plants by 2030.
Collie, WA
Australia
Waverley, NSW Swap & Wash pilot tackles landfill waste from single-use takeout containers
Council officials recruited seven eateries in Bondi for the three-month pilot. Patrons receive meals in Mealboxes during their first orders in the trial period. Restaurants and cafes exchange sanitized Mealboxes for returned Mealboxes, thus eliminating container waste and costs. Each box is made from recycled plastic collected by local startup rePlated. Waverley anticipates a reduction of 437 kilograms of plastic waste and four tons of carbon emissions during the pilot.
Waverley, NSW
Australia
Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek), BCR rewards community cleanup efforts with #1030CLEANUPCHALLENGE
Schaerbeek residents download the #1030CLEANUPCHALLENGE app to participate in Team Juliet or Team Vidal. The Public Cleanliness and Green Spaces team divides the city into zones with cleanup events scheduled through mid-May 2023. Participants earn rewards points for completing tasks like weeding sidewalks, gathering cigarette butts, and planning neighborhood cleanups. Individual and group leaderboards based on reward points determine prize winners.
Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek), BCR
Belgium
Ridgeland, MS incentivizes household recycling through Recycle Rewards program with Waste Management
Ridgeland switched from the RecycleBank platform to a new rewards partnership with its service provider. Residents register for free on the program's website and press the I Recycled Today button after leaving bins out for weekly collections. Every press of the button leads to reward points redeemable for discounts at retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues. There are also random gift card drawings each month for Recycle Rewards participants.
Ridgeland, MS
United States
Durham County Council, GB rewards community cleanup efforts by piloting the UnLitter UK app
App developer Unbox the Universe is working with Visit County Durham during the three-month pilot. The UnLitter UK app issues virtual UCoins in exchange for litter collection. App users upload photos of collected litter and redeem UCoins for shopping vouchers and UnLitter UK merchandise. This rewards system complements anti-litter marketing, enforcement efforts, and cleanup events organized by the county council.
Durham County Council, GB
United Kingdom
Horsham District Council, GB partners with Podback on coffee pod collection and recycling program
Horsham residents request free rolls of disposal bags for plastic and aluminum pods. Participants arrange free curbside collections through Podback's scheduling system. The service handles 16 pod types from brands like Nespresso and Starbucks. Collected pods are delivered to regional processors for conversion into plastics for future products. The Podback collaboration reduces landfill waste and contributes to a circular economy in the United Kingdom.
Horsham District Council, GB
United Kingdom
Randwick, NSW develops circular economy for local plastic waste through partnership with Plasmar
Randwick sought a soft plastic recycling alternative when the national REDcycle program ceased operations. Local residents can drop off plastic bags, films, and wraps at the Randwick Recycling Centre. Gathered materials are sent to Plasmar's facility for conversion into plastic pellets for new products including bollards and fence posts. City officials are piloting purchases of Plasmar products built from local recyclables, thus demonstrating the positive impacts of community participation.
Randwick, NSW
Australia
Aarhus, DK pursues a citywide reusable takeaway container system for landfill waste reductions
Aarhus seeks project partners that can develop a unified takeaway container system for local business use. A group of 25 cafes and restaurants lobbied the city for a replacement for single-use cups. The three-year pilot will start with reusable coffee cups that can be returned to participating eateries for continued use. This system will expand into other takeout container types, thus reducing the large share of public bin waste composed of coffee cups.
Aarhus, DK
Denmark
Tacoma, WA turns residential food waste into chicken feed through collaboration with Mill
City residents can register for monthly subscriptions with Mill's collection service. Subscribers receive specialized kitchen bins that shrink and dry food waste. The resulting grounds are sent to Mill using return boxes with free USPS shipping. Mill converts food grounds into chicken feed and shows each subscriber's impact on a dedicated mobile app. Savings from the reduced use of Tacoma's pay-as-you-throw payment model will offset some of each participant's subscription costs.
Tacoma, WA
United States
London Borough of Bexley, GB partners with TRAID on textile collection and recycling service
Borough residents can arrange for free collections from the textile resale charity. TRAID accepts one large bag or three small bags of clothes, shoes, and accessories per scheduled trip. This service also accepts one small bag of household electronics including clocks, toasters, and phones at each stop. Collected materials are sorted and sold through a network of charity shops with proceeds supporting improved working conditions for textile workers.
London Borough of Bexley, GB
United Kingdom
Enschede, OV and Collecting Heroes support on-demand recyclable collection for businesses
The collaboration precedes the full-scale removal of underground waste containers in Enschede's city center. Collecting Heroes uses e-cargo bikes for scheduled collections of paper and cardboard from their customers. Existing waste collectors may work with Collecting Heroes on coordinated collections or businesses can directly work with the company. The pivot to on-demand service reduces heavy-duty vehicle traffic, beautifies storefronts, and adapts collections to business needs.
Enschede, OV
Netherlands