Reverse logistics of municipal solid waste - towards zero waste cities

Municipal waste is very different in terms of physical and chemical composition. The economic use of municipal waste is the most effective method of eliminating its negative impact on environment. The main trends in the field of municipal waste quantities in Poland are analysed. It can be see that municipal waste is still the problem in Poland, especially in urban areas. The need for the reduction of waste in urban area results in an zero waste city concept. This concept can be supported by reverse logistics. Guidelines for the implementation of the tasks in the field of the reverse logistics are located especially in the province plans of the waste management. That is why the aim of the article is to identify the trends in the size of the flows of municipal waste. The trends in cities, which are the main object of reverse logistics of municipal waste and the concept of zero waste cities, are measured separately. The zero waste concept necessitates the activities of reverse logistics because it is not possible to reduce municipal waste without the proper organization of waste flows and infrastructure which is the function of reverse logistics. Ecologically and economically effective organization of waste flows often stretches beyond the city and encompasses a larger region around it. In Poland the guidelines concerning the organization of the flows of waste materials are part of regional plans and strategies for waste management. For this reason the classification of the Polish provinces using the following diagnostic features: municipal waste collected according to the treatment operations, municipal waste collected by fractions, mixed municipal waste collected, landfilling of municipal waste by urban areas, degassing of landfill sites has been added to the research.. Accepted for analysis variables reflect the effects of implementation of solutions of reverse logistics. The breakdown is conducted with the use of multidimensional statistical analysis. Data from the years 2012 and 2016 were analyzed. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.