A Look Back and a Leap Forward: Towards Sustainable Household Segregated Waste Management at Civic Amenity Sites in Białostocki County, a Predominantly Rural Region in Poland

Effective municipal waste management is fundamental to environmental sustainability and the circular economy. This case study assesses the operational effectiveness of the Recycling/Civic Amenity Site (CAS) network in Białostocki county, Poland, during the 2014–2018 national waste management transition. A multi-criteria assessment was employed, integrating compliance audits, infrastructure checks, and spatial analysis of waste type distributions to evaluate CAS operations. The findings reveal a socio-economic divergence between more urbanised (town-and-village) and purely rural (village) municipalities, which is directly reflected in their distinct waste composition patterns. The town-and-village areas produced homogeneous, high-quality packaging waste streams that support recycling goals. Conversely, the village municipalities generated more commingled, heterogeneous streams that challenge recycling efforts. An optimised CAS model was proposed for the county to enhance sustainability by adaptively differentiating CAS services to local needs. However, a direct stock-take of all 16 CASs revealed significant infrastructural disparities, limiting the model’s potential. The study concludes that overcoming both the qualitative waste stream divergence and quantitative infrastructure disparities through tailored strategies is essential for meeting national recycling targets and achieving long-term sustainability. The methodology provides a replicable framework for pinpointing the root causes of inefficient operations, offering local authorities evidence-based tools to optimise CAS design and ensure infrastructure investments directly support overarching sustainability goals.