Systems analysis as support for decision making towards sustainable municipal waste management - a case study

• Published in: Waste management & research 2006-08, Vol.24 (4), p.323-331
• Main Authors: Klang, Anders, Vikman, Per-Åke, Brattebø, Helge
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Case studies; Cities and towns; Conservation of Natural Resources; Costs and Cost Analysis; Decision Making; Decision making models; Economics; Environmental engineering; Environmental Pollution; Female; Households; Humans; Male; Miljöteknik; mr 758-8; Municipal solid waste; Municipal waste management; Municipalities; Municipality; Other technology; Policy Making; Politicians; Refuse; Refuse and refuse disposal; Refuse Disposal - economics; Refuse Disposal - methods; Refuse Disposal - standards; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden; System design; Systems analysis; TECHNOLOGY; TEKNIKVETENSKAP; Waste management; Waste Management - economics; Waste Management - methods; Waste Management - standards; Waste management industry; Waste treatment; Övriga teknikvetenskaper
• ISSN: 0734-242X; 1096-3669; 1096-3669; 0734-242X
• DOI: 10.1177/0734242X06066314

During the last decade, systems analysis has become a more frequently used tool in municipal waste management. This paper investigates how one such analysis, carried out in a Swedish county, was perceived by local municipal officers and politicians as support in the decision-making process. A questionnaire was sent to municipal officers and politicians in local government committees and municipal councils. The respondents considered the most important aspects in evaluating scenarios to be: possibilities for municipal co-operation to minimize cost and negative environmental influence; sound working conditions for refuse disposal personnel; low emissions of greenhouse gases; keeping household economy in mind; and using technologies that are known and reliable. Aspects of relatively low importance were the number of locally generated job opportunities, and minimizing work efforts for the households. The study also showed differences between male and female respondents and between politicians and municipal officers, on how scenarios were valued and on which aspects of the systems analysis were of greatest importance for this valuation. Respondents, on average, were satisfied with the systems analysis, and its usefulness as a decision-support tool. However, more work should be carried out to explain and present the results of the systems analysis to further improve its usefulness.