Implementation of new concepts in waste management in tourist metropolitan areas

Abstract

Abstract The urban waste in tourist cities needs comprehensive global research efforts and proceeded action as for metropolitan areas huge impact and load on waste management is generated. Waste management and resource conservation strategies are prepared in state-of-the-art level however implementation and future improvement of the current situation is crucial. Some examples in waste prevention and management for better tourism, waste and resource management are provided in the paper as outcomes from Horizon2020 project “Urban Strategies for Waste Management in Tourist Cities”. The policy and tools based on information gathered by scientists, municipal and NGOs experience (e.g. separation of bio-waste in catering industries, “sin-wastes” as from the bars, nightclubs and smoker places, reuse of unnecessary items that can serve for others and many more) are described. In addition, regulatory instruments (e.g. ban of plastic bags, reduction of allowed bio-waste in landfilling), economic instruments (taxes) and voluntary agreements (e.g. deposit systems; cleaning actions by volunteers) might be used to implement and elaborate the situation within environmental management and prevention practices in tourist metropolitan cities. Food waste prevention, beach and littoral management, special practices for festival waste and large amount specific waste generating facilities (e.g., entertainment industry, cruises etc.) are of high importance. The future outlook may be concentrated on digitalizing of waste flows and using the “big data” concept for better and smarter waste management.