Understanding what municipal waste is and how it is managed is the first step towards reducing the amount of salvageable waste that directly enters landfill. For local authorities, managing municipal waste is a key driver of limiting costs, enhancing resident satisfaction, and helping them towards achieving their environmental goals.
In this comprehensive guide we’ll be exploring what municipal waste is, including municipal solid waste (MSW) and municipal mixed waste, as well as municipal waste management, and providing insights into how local authorities can improve their waste management.
Table of Contents
- What is Municipal Waste?
- What is Municipal Solid Waste?
- What is Included in Municipal Solid Waste?
- What is Mixed Municipal Waste?
- Municipal Solid Waste – Waste Framework Directive
- What is Municipal Waste Management?
- How Can Local Authorities Improve Their Municipal Waste Management Services?
- Introduction to Collective Waste Management Software
- Frequently Asked Questions about Bartec Municipal Technologies
- Related Articles
- Conclusion
What is Municipal Waste?
Municipal waste encompasses all waste that is produced, collected and treated by, or for municipalities. This covers all household waste, including bulky waste such as mattresses and furniture, similar waste streams produced by commerce and trade, office buildings and businesses, as well as food and garden waste, street sweepings and the contents of public litter bins.
This definition excludes waste from municipal sewage networks and treatment, as well as waste produced from construction and demolition activities.
What is Municipal Solid Waste?
Municipal solid waste (MSW) and municipal waste share the same definition, with these terms being used interchangeably.
Municipal solid waste is a term more commonly used in the EU, and includes household waste and any other waste collected by a Waste Collection Authority, usually part of a council, or its agents, such as municipal parks and garden waste, beach cleansing waste (if applicable), commercial waste and waste resulting from fly-tipping.
Municipal solid waste can be generated from numerous sources such as households, waste from commercial, industrial or institutional sources which share a similar nature or composition to household waste.
What is Included in Municipal Solid Waste?
Municipal solid waste’s composition is highly heterogeneous, formed by a variety of different fractions including:
- Bio-waste
- Paper and cardboard
- Packaging (plastic, cans etc)
- Glass
- Food waste
- Garden waste
- Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
- Batteries and accumulators
- Textiles
- Medicines
- Edible oils
- Bulky waste
- Others (which nature or composition is similar to waste from households)
What is Mixed Municipal Waste?
Mixed municipal waste includes everyday waste that can not be separated into the dry recyclable packaging materials bin, glass bin, or compost bin. This typically contains food scraps, hygiene products, cleaning materials and small plastic items:
- General household waste: This is the main component and includes non-recyclable items.
- Non-recyclable packaging: Items such as dirty food packaging, crisp packets, and other plastics that cannot be processed through standard recycling streams.
- Contaminated materials: Any materials that have been contaminated by food or other liquids that would prevent them from being recycled.
- Hygiene products: Disposable nappies, sanitary products, and cotton swabs.
- Broken or worn-out items: Things like worn-out shoes, worn-out clothing, and pillows.
Mixed municipal waste also consists of mis-sorted waste such as fermentable or organic materials such as food waste, grass and wood etc, as well as recyclable packaging materials.
Mixed waste is often transported to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to be sorted and disposed of in the correct waste streams, however, there are millions of tonnes of waste that are wrongfully sent to landfill each year despite being eligible for recycling or energy recovery.
In 2023, 5.3 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) was sent to landfill in the UK.
Municipal Solid Waste – Waste Framework Directive
Specific EU targets for municipal solid waste have been set under the Waste Framework Directive, which outlines a minimum rate for the recycling of MSW, but also a number of obligations in relation to the separate collection of several waste fractions included within this complex waste stream:
- Recyclables (ie paper and cardboard, metal, plastic and glass)
- Bio-waste
- Textiles
- Hazardous waste streams generated by households such as WEEE, batteries or medicines
Municipal waste was originally defined within Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste but has now been redefined in Directive 2018/851 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (the Waste Framework Directive). Municipal waste now means:
- Mixed waste and separately collected waste from households, including paper and cardboard, glass, metals, plastics, bio-waste, wood, textiles, packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment, waste batteries and accumulators and bulky waste including mattresses and furniture:
- Mixed waste and separately collected waste from other sources, where such waste is similar in nature and composition to waste from households.
Municipal waste does not include waste from production, agriculture, forestry, fishing, septic tanks and sewage sludge, end of life vehicles or construction and demolition waste.
The definition of municipal waste in the UK changed in 2010 following negotiations with the EU Commission and the waste community to remove the ambiguity around this term and is now termed ‘Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste’ or ‘Local Authority Collected Waste’.
What is Municipal Waste Management?
Municipal waste management, or municipal solid waste management, is the discipline associated with the control of generation, collection, storage, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of solid waste in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, conservation and other environmental considerations.
Local governing authorities and councils are tasked with this responsibility, which includes ensuring the efficient and effective collection of household waste, as well as commercial and institutional waste that is similar in nature and composition to household waste. Their duties also encompass emptying public bins, street sweeping and cleansing, and maintaining open areas by preventing littering and fly-tipping.
Waste that is collected must be collected appropriately and diverted to the correct facilities so that they can be processed and dealt with accordingly, whether that is recycling facilities, material recovery facilities, biological treatment facilities or landfill.
How Can Local Authorities Improve Their Municipal Waste Management Services?
Local authorities can significantly enhance their municipal waste management by prioritising timely and effective waste collection. This entails offering consistent, scheduled, and reliable collection for various household waste streams, including general waste (black/grey bins), recycling (green bins), food waste bins, and garden waste bins.
Providing residents within the municipality with easy access to these different waste stream bins and ensuring regular collections encourages them to correctly segregate and dispose of their waste.
Furthermore, local authorities are responsible for providing essential street cleansing services. This ensures public waste bins are emptied frequently and acts as a deterrent against illegal activities like fly-tipping.
To improve these services, reduce associated costs, and enhance resident satisfaction, councils and local authorities should consider implementing specialised waste management software. This technology can streamline processes, helping them to deliver a better, more consistent, and efficient service to their communities.
Introducing Collective Waste Management Software
Trusted by over 100 councils across England, Scotland, and Wales, Bartec Municipal Technologies’ waste management software, Collective, helps local authorities deliver exceptional waste management services. Collective empowers councils to save significant time on processes, reduce operational costs, and even generate revenue through subscription garden waste services.
This smart waste management software has been designed to simplify and streamline municipal waste operations. It offers a unified platform that helps automate tasks, optimise collection routes, and provide valuable insights, ultimately aiming to reduce costs and improve overall operational efficiency for councils.
The software’s capabilities span several key areas:
Operational Efficiency: Collective helps optimise waste collection and cleansing operations. It includes features for route optimisation (intelligent, dynamic routing to minimise risks and maximise fleet use), mobile working with CollectiveX (allowing management to monitor performance and make instant, informed decisions anywhere), and systems integration (using powerful APIs to connect the platform with customer care systems, finance applications, and special databases). It manages people, assets, schedules, and reactive work from a single dashboard.
Safety and Data: It prioritises worker and fleet safety, allowing councils to manage risk with route design (supplying the latest risk assessment for every street) and measure safety with remote auditing (using telematics, video systems, and crew feedback). The SafeActive feature monitors key systems and sends notifications for critical events like emergency stops or doors open on a moving vehicle. It also supports improved data management by collecting and analysing data for insights into waste generation, collection, and disposal.
Community and Wellbeing: Collective is designed to connect communities directly by tracking collection progress in real-time, providing updates, and promoting engagement. Residents can easily report missed bins, access electronic subscription services, and report full litter bins with QR scanning. Furthermore, the software supports crew mental wellbeing by providing easy access to links for mental health support resources, such as Andy’s Man Club.
Collective is a comprehensive waste management software that elevates front-line services by giving drivers access to schedules, assets, places and people wherever they are. Routing and tracking analytics help them navigate routes effectively with real-time updates on road closures and delays. Authorities are given informative updates on driver behaviour and vehicle performance with in-cab telematics. Every council can customise their package in-line with their waste and subscription services.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bartec Municipal Technologies
Company and Core Business
Q: What is Bartec Municipal Technologies?
A: Bartec Municipal Technologies is a leading UK-based provider of integrated software solutions specifically designed for the municipal waste management, street cleansing, and environmental services sectors. Their primary goal is to help local authorities run safer, more efficient, and cost-effective services.
Q: Where is Bartec Municipal Technologies based?
A: The company is based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK, and serves clients across England, Scotland and Wales, and increasingly the international market, including the USA.
The Collective Software Platform
Q: What is Collective?
A: Collective is Bartec’s flagship, comprehensive waste management software platform. It acts as the central system for managing all aspects of a municipal waste operation, including routing, in-cab communications, data analytics, vehicle telematics, and resident interaction.
Q: Does Collective integrate with our existing systems (CRM, Accounting, etc.)?
A: Yes. Collective is designed with a robust API (Application Programming Interface) to ensure seamless, vendor-independent integration with other key municipal software systems, such as CRM, accounting, and GIS platforms. This allows all smart assets and data to be managed from a single dashboard.
Operational Efficiency and Safety
Q: How does Bartec help reduce operational costs?
A: Bartec reduces costs primarily through Intelligent Route Optimisation, which minimises fuel consumption, vehicle mileage, and operational hours. The software also maximises asset utilisation and provides analytics that pinpoint inefficiencies and help schedule predictive maintenance.
Q: How does Collective improve crew and fleet safety?
A: Collective includes advanced safety features such as:
* Risk Minimisation in Routing: Optimising routes to avoid unnecessary or risky manoeuvres (like excessive reversing).
* Real-Time Data: Providing crews with live updates on hazards and safety concerns via in-cab systems.
* Safety Monitoring: Integrating with vehicle telematics and onboard cameras to monitor driver behaviour and adherence to safety protocols.
Q: How does the software handle complex routes like bulky or clinical waste?
A: Collective uses powerful, constantly updated algorithms to manage both high-density domestic routes and highly dynamic routes (like bulky waste collections or bin deliveries). It automatically optimises these routes daily and in real-time as changes or new requests arise.
Specialised Waste Streams and Resident Engagement
Q: Can Collective manage subscription-based services like garden waste?
A: Yes. Collective provides a complete solution for managing both free and paid garden waste subscription services, including online sign-ups, secure payment processing, automated bin ordering, and route planning based on real-time subscriber data.
Q: How does the software help with new compliance (e.g., separate food waste collections)?
A: Collective facilitates compliance by helping authorities design, implement, and manage specific collection streams, such as food waste. The platform simplifies resident communication and sign-ups via the Resident Portal, increasing participation rates and ensuring the waste is successfully diverted for recycling (e.g., anaerobic digestion).
Q: How does Bartec improve communication with residents?
A: The Collective Resident Portal and Collective Communities modules bridge the gap between the council and the public. Residents can access live collection schedules, report missed bins (which are pre-validated), subscribe to services, and receive real-time news alerts about delays or service changes, greatly enhancing customer satisfaction.
Related Articles
Why is Waste Management Important?
Reducing Waste Management Costs: A Guide for Councils
The Power of Waste Management Software: A Smarter Approach to Waste
How to Manage Waste in the Community: A Guide to Reducing, Reusing and Recycling
The Importance of Food Waste Management
Conclusion
For local authorities across the UK, understanding and improving municipal waste management is a critical driver for achieving environmental targets, enhancing resident satisfaction, and crucially, reducing operational costs. The shift towards smart, data-driven solutions is no longer optional, but essential for a sustainable future.
If your council is based in England, Scotland, or Wales, and you’re looking to transform your waste services, adopting specialised municipal waste management software is the proven path to efficiency. By streamlining operations with intelligent tools like Bartec Municipal Technologies’ Collective platform, local government bodies can implement intelligent route optimisation, enhance crew and fleet safety, and drastically improve communication with their communities through the Resident Portal.
Take the next step in responsible and cost-effective Local Authority Waste Collection. By embracing smart technology, you can ensure your municipality is not only compliant with directives but is also leading the charge in sustainable waste management for your community.
Book a call with our experts today to discuss how Collective can help you provide better public services to your residents.
