Kerbside collection
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Kerbside collection (UK) or curbside recycling (US) is the practice of collecting household waste. It is most commonly referred to as a strategy of local authorities to collect recyclable items from the household alongside normal mixed waste collections. Kerbside collection is considered a low risk strategy to reduce waste volumes and increase recycling rates.
Recyclable materials that may be separately collected from municipal waste include:
Biodegradable waste component
- Green waste
- Kitchen waste
- Paper
Other recyclable components
- Plastics (PET, HDPE)
- Glass
- Metals (ferrous and non-ferrous)
- Co-mingled recyclables- can be sorted by a clean materials recovery facility
Kerbside collection of recylable resources is aimed to recover purer waste streams with higher market value than by other collection methods. If the household incorrectly separates the recyclable elements they load may have to be put to landfill if it is deemed to be contaminated.
Kerbside collection and household recycling schemes are also being used as tools by local authorities to increase the public's awareness of their waste production.
Kerbside collection is commonly considered to be completely environmentally friendly. This may not necessarily be the case as it leads to an increased number of waste collection vehicles on the road contributing to global warming through exhaust emissions.
New and emerging waste treatment technologies such as mechanical biological treatment offer an alternative to kerbside collection through automated separation of waste in recycling factories.
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