Simple changes could double food waste recycling in apartments, study finds

Kenneth Fox

Simple measures to improve waste collection could increase the level of segregated food waste collected from apartments in Ireland by almost two and a half times current levels, according to new research.

A study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency showed simple targeted behavioural “nudges” resulted in a 143 per cent increase in food waste collected in trials on over 600 apartments in Galway and Limerick.

The initiative led to 1.93 kilogrammes of food waste being collected per apartment per week.

Apartment residents were provided with a 10-litre vented caddy, an educational leaflet and a supply of compostable caddy liners.

A large 140-litre food waste bin was also placed near the entrance of apartment blocks, while a short conversation was had with at least 75 per cent of residents, backed up by the distribution of motivational flyers over five weeks to each post box.

The study said the measures, if scaled nationally, could result in an additional 42,000 tonnes of food waste being collected annually from apartments, which would contribute 1.26 per cent towards Ireland’s EU municipal waste recycling targets.

Ireland is required to recycle 60 per cent of all municipal waste by 2030. The latest figures show the recycling rate was 41 per cent in 2024.

The study was conducted with the aim of addressing the environmental challenge of low food waste segregation rates in apartment buildings in the Republic of Ireland.

Official figures show that only 3,380 tonnes of food waste were collected from apartment complexes in 2023 compared with almost 50,700 tonnes of residual waste.

Separate research in 2022 on national household municipal waste found that only one-third of food waste was correctly segregated into organic (brown) bins, with apartments having particularly poor food waste segregation policies.

The study noted that waste disposal in apartment complexes is typically covered by an annual management charge which remains largely unaffected by individual segregation habits.

It pointed out that a flat rate charge for waste disposal means there is less financial motivation to sort waste properly.

It also observed that shared waste infrastructure and a lack of personal responsibility for cleanliness or correct sorting create a sense of anonymity around waste disposal in apartment complexes.

The study said these results in residents are less inclined to make the time and effort needed to manage waste properly.

It also highlighted a lack of awareness and education about correct food waste segregation, with a previous study finding 41 per cent of general waste bins from apartments contained food waste compared to 14 per cent in conventional houses.

The trials showed a significant improvement in the level of contamination of food waste from conventional plastic bags – down from 87 per cent to 30 per cent.

The study acknowledged that another barrier to placing food waste bins in accessible locations in apartment complexes can be concerns about odour and pests.

However, researchers said their findings provided strong indications that simple and targeted behavioural strategies, which make food waste segregation more convenient and personally engaging, can significantly improve segregation rates in apartment settings.

They said key drivers of success were the physical placement of bins near entrances and ongoing motivational messaging.

The authors of the study said their findings were relevant for policymakers, waste management authorities, property managers and apartment residents as they provided “scalable, evidence-based strategies to enhance recycling behaviours specifically for apartment settings.”

They said the next step was to integrate key elements of the service standard into waste collection permit conditions.

The study also recommended that the ideal waste storage area design should be piloted, refined, and ultimately incorporated into design standards for new apartment buildings.

“These measures will create more consistent, convenient and cost-effective waste segregation for apartment residents," they said.