Trnava begins trials for collection of biodegradable municipal waste

The goal of the pilot is not only to make the city more sustainable but to also reduce food waste

Local authorities in Slovakia’s Trnava have begun trialling the collection of biodegradable municipal waste in three housing estates in the city. The new brown rubbish bins can be found spread out across Zelenečská, Mozartová and Šafárikova streets and are meant to help people sort their waste more efficiently, to care for the environment and to prevent food waste.

Useful tips from the municipality

For the collected waste to be ready for composting, it must have been sort out properly, which is why authorities have posters with tips for locals that are meant to guide them on their journeys of becoming more sustainable.

The other main goal of the new initiative is to prevent food waste – a major issue with global scale, which can be tackled most efficiently on the local level. Authorities in the city of Trnava want citizens to become more responsible when it comes to their handling of food and want to remind them of a few key pillars to the prevention of food waste:

• Plan purchases in advance, buy only what you need
• Store food appropriately
• Rotate the food you purchase by storing it in the back of the cupboard or freezer
• Regulate portions, don’t overcompensate
• Save money by not throwing away food

Finally, the most important tip – which connects to the overall goal of Trnava’s waste-collection initiative – is to turn the waste into compost. If as many citizens as possible adhere to these tips and collect their waste separately so that it can then be composted, the city can make its mark on the world by being a responsible actor who has embraced the challenges presented by climate change and has acted accordingly.