CASE STUDY: Zero Waste - The Story of Sardinia

Published on February 26, 2018

Sardinia was until 2003 in the rearguard of Italy and Europe in terms of waste management, but it is changing with a strategy based on the promotion of separate collection.

Sardinia was until 2003 in the rearguard of Italy and Europe in terms of waste management. With a separate collection rate of 3.8%, this popular tourist island used to send all the remaining waste to landfills and incineration.

However, a strategy based on the promotion of separate collection with particular attention to bio-waste, and a carefully designed system of incentives in combination with several municipalities championing the transition towards zero waste, is delivering results. In 2016 Sardinia collected separately 56% of its waste, and plans to reach 80% by 2022 over the whole island.

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Zero Waste Europe

Zero Waste Europe was created to empower communities to rethink their relationship with the resources.In a growing number of regions, local groups of individuals, businesses and city officials are taking significant steps towards eliminating waste in our society.

Looking forward

Despite the good results so far, in its new Waste Management Plan of 2016, the Region is looking beyond the level of ambition of the European Commission and has set very ambitious targets by 2022, among which:

> 70% recycling target

> 80% separate collection of waste

> 10% reduction on the relation be- tween waste and GDP on the basis of 2010

In order to meet these targets, the regional government aims at rolling out door-to-door separate collection and pay-as-you-throw schemes across the whole island. Additionally, the Region is planning to raise the target of separate collection set out for the system of incentives that is currently at 65% to avoid penalties, and 70% to get rewarded.