Analysis of Waste Sorting Population in Latvia by Using System Dynamics Modeling

Abstract

Municipal waste can be sorted by using recycling waste container system, deposit system or other mechanisms. Three basic kinds of municipal waste – plastic, glass and paper/cardboard are collected in Latvia by using waste container system. The major part of it is utilized packaging – PET and glass bottles, cardboard boxes etc. It is necessary to ensure sorted material collection to provide recycling; however, the extent of sorting mostly depends on the willingness and possibilities of population to sort the waste. Therefore, willingness of population and possibilities of waste sorting, as well as the preconditions, which need to be fulfilled for motivating the non-sorting population to start sorting, are analyzed in the paper by using system dynamics modeling. System dynamics is a modeling methodology, which permits an analyst to represent graphically and mathematically the interactions governing the dynamic behavior of complex socio-economic systems. The purpose of a system dynamics intervention is to identify, how structure and decision policies generate system behavior identified as problematic, so that structural and policy oriented solutions can be identified and implemented. In this paper, system dynamics modeling is used to understand and reflect the existing situation of packaging waste sorting and its motivating factors in order to develop the projections till year 2030 under conditions of the existing policies, i.e. the reference system. Then, economical and political instruments, which make improvements comparing to the reference system and solve the problem related to low sorting efficiency of population in Latvia, are studied by using the model.