Regional Specifics of Using Community Bins in Waste Management: a Case Study of Rural Communities in Poltava Region (Ukraine)

Background: The growing waste amount generation and its negative impact on the environment have become a serious problem. Many regions of Ukraine are not ready for modern challenges in the field of municipal solid waste (MSW) management. Inadequate waste management strategies at the regional level, taking into account local technical and economic features, require the attention of researchers. In particular, the technological component of local and regional MSW management systems in rural communities of the Poltava region (Ukraine) needs to be analysed and modernized, as well as the development of a technology for the use of specialized community bins to ensure environmental safety and efficient waste management Objectives: This study aims to improve the efficiency of MSW management at the regional level by optimizing the waste collection system through the use of specialized community bins. A step-by-step approach was used to achieve the stated goal. Methods: The study was conducted using methods of system and factor analysis, as well as methods of structural-genetic synthesis. Results: It was revealed that the vast majority of rural settlements in the Poltava region were deprived of such an organizational structure as community waste systems; there was an irrational placement of special sites for community urns, which prevented the full collection of household waste from the population. The study found that the priority direction for optimizing the use of public household bins is the use of the entire range of bin capacities from 0.12 to 1.1 m3, which will reduce capital costs. Conclusion: The stated objective was successfully achieved, providing a scientifically based concept for the optimal planning of community bin systems as a component of waste management with an emphasis on local and regional characteristics of the region under study. The study filled a gap in organizational approaches to the development of solid waste management systems in rural areas and communities of the Poltava region, which increases the efficiency of waste collection from the population and reduces capital costs for organizing the process.