Seasonal and spatial patterns of municipal solid waste composition in Hungary within the context of extended producer responsibility

Abstract This study investigates seasonal and regional patterns in municipal solid waste (MSW) composition in Hungary from autumn 2022 to spring 2025, focusing on plastics regulated by the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system and the Deposit Return System (DRS) during the national transition to a circular economy. The research employed the newly developed Hungarian EPR MSW sampling methodology, conducting eight national-level seasonal sampling campaigns. In total, 57 EPR-related waste subcategories were analyzed within residual and multi-component selective MSW streams across Hungary’s eight NUTS-2 regions. Spatial and temporal trends were assessed using QGIS-based visualization of wet and dry plastic concentrations. The results indicate a distinct three-phase development pattern: a pre-implementation phase with elevated, regionally variable plastic concentrations; a transitional adjustment phase; and a post-implementation phase marked by significantly reduced, spatially convergent concentrations. Following the introduction of the DRS in July 2024, dry DRS plastic concentrations in residual MSW declined sharply across all regions, indicating the rapid effectiveness of deposit-based collection in reducing plastic leakage into residual waste streams. Conversely, EPR-related plastics exhibited only a gradual decrease with ongoing regional variability, suggesting a slower and more limited system response. In selective MSW, DRS-related plastics exhibited temporary redistribution during system adjustment, whereas selective collection remained the primary recovery pathway for EPR-related plastics. In summary, the findings demonstrate that although both policy instruments improve plastic management, the DRS produced a substantially greater and more immediate reduction in residual plastic waste than EPR alone. The identified regional and seasonal variations underscore the need to integrate deposit-based systems with complementary EPR measures to advance circularity.