Waste collection systems. Part A: a taxonomy

Abstract Waste collection systems are a relevant component of solid waste management systems implemented worldwide. Although relevant to the success of waste management, the development of waste collection systems has been disorganized and dissimilar. Lack of a common definition and characterization of waste collection systems and components has complicated the development and analysis to date in scientific research fields such as technological advances, costs optimization and assessment, environmental impacts, policy compliance, and public behavior. This paper presents a taxonomy for classifying waste collection systems considering the dichotomy of containers and vehicles. Key waste collection systems are presented to exemplify all components used to build the taxonomy, and a case study in the Greater Lisbon area, Portugal, is presented to confirm that the taxonomy is simple, easy to apply and interpret, visual, and related to manufacturers' catalogues. Key elements differentiate container and vehicle components and specify which and how components are compatible. The classification can identify waste collection systems through two trees, one for containers and another for vehicles, generating information to be used by experts from several scientific fields and waste collection managers and planners to close the knowledge gap.