Parma is located in Emilia Romagna, the top waste producer among Italian regions, with 636 kg of waste per capita in 2014. With its 190,284 inhabitants, Parma was not in a better situation than the rest of the region: separate collection had stagnated around 45% for years and waste generation was significantly high. This led the Province to propose the construction of an incinerator in 2012. However, thanks to social mobilisation, the need for a new model of waste management became a central element during the local council elections who removed the pro-incineration mayor and elected a new one that was committed to start a journey towards Zero Waste.
Two main measures were taken:
- The introduction of door-to-door separate collection system
- The introduction of a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) scheme
In only 4 years, Parma became a vivid example of transition from traditional waste management to Zero Waste, achieving significant results:
- Total waste generation reduced by 15%
- Separate collection went from 48.5% to 72% in 4 years
- Residual waste rate decreased by 59%
- Reduction in the overall annual costs
- Increase in the number of jobs connected to waste management
