Collection and reporting of waste data to support waste management policies

TL;DR

This paper assesses the Waste Data Interrogator for England and compares it with European databases to improve waste management policies.

Contribution

The paper evaluates the WDI's usefulness for policy-making and provides international insights and recommendations for improvement.

Findings

The WDI's classification and spatial analytics need refinement to better support policy decisions.

Expanding statistical coverage and metadata can enhance the database's reliability and user-friendliness.

Abstract

Policies for waste management, including target setting, infrastructure planning and circular economy interventions, crucially depend on the availability and quality of waste data. This paper evaluates the Waste Data Interrogator for England (WDI), a key database compiling reports from permitted waste facilities managing controlled wastes and compares it with six other European databases. Its usefulness for policy-making was evaluated across five key aspects: classification effectiveness, information comprehensiveness, suitability for spatial analytics, clarity and user-friendliness and reliability. The analysis focused on construction, demolition and excavation waste, which is the largest waste stream in the database and in many regions globally, and a common policy priority. Our analysis of the WDI in a European context provides internationally relevant insights and identifies areas for improvement. Recommendations include refining classification to inform recovery, broadening statistical coverage, strengthening spatial detail, enhancing metadata and promoting digitalisation, all of which support better evidence-based waste management policy-making.

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