A research was conducted to identify specific consumption patterns and trends in waste generation

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It is unequivocally confirmed the need to provide the containers provided for in the project for disposal of specific types of waste

One of the main aims of EU waste management policies is to reduce the impact of waste on the environment and human health and to increase efficiency in the use of resources in the EU. The long-term aim of these policies is to reduce the amount of waste and, where its generation cannot be avoided, to promote its use as a resource and to achieve higher levels of recycling and safe disposal of waste. In this regard, it is extremely important to know the habits of the population, their consumption and their waste generation patterns. Therefore, within the framework of project BGENVIRONMENT-3.002-0005-C02 "Measures to improve waste management in the municipalities of Ruse, Tutrakan, Slivo Pole and Vetovo", financed under the program "Environmental Protection and Climate Change" of the FM of the EEA, a study was carried out among the population of the municipalities of Ruse, Tutrakan, Slivo Pole and Vetovo. The collected information will support decision-making on waste management in these four municipalities. The research was conducted using a direct face-to-face standardized interview method with a tablet. 300 residents of Ruse Municipality, 120 residents of Tutrakan Municipality, 120 residents of Slivo Pole Municipality and 121 residents of Vetovo Municipality were covered. The sample of the respondents is consistent with the structure and distribution of the population and the main demographic characteristics – age, gender, education, type of settlement. This ensures that the sample is representative of the general population. The results of the research carried out on the territory of the Municipality of Ruse unequivocally confirm the need to provide the vessels provided for in the project for disposal of specific types of waste (around and over 90% general interest in their use). The main highlights that the analysis of the collected data highlighted are:

The actual usability of the new services/vessels will not be unconditional. There are two key conditions that the majority of citizens set in relation to the planned innovations - that they be close to their homes and that their use does not require an increase in the garbage fee. However, about 1/3 of the respondents are inclined to use such containers regardless of their location in the municipality (the willingness to use construction waste containers is the greatest), and 49% are inclined to accept a certain increase in the garbage fee against the possibility of free disposal of such waste. Those citizens who, in principle, dispose of these types of waste in a regulated manner are significantly more motivated to use such containers. Conversely, the least interest and the most conditions for using the foreseen new opportunities are placed by those who dispose unregulated or people who do not generate such waste in general.
The innovations of this project also have an important function in relation to the overall development and improvement of garbage collection and garbage disposal processes. As the most serious problem in this regard, the citizens of the municipality consider the unregulated disposal of all kinds of waste to and around the common containers. These are mainly specific types of waste that will be able to be accepted at the planned mobile stations. Separate disposal of waste as a comprehensive commitment and sustainable practice is still limited and practiced by about 14% of the municipality's population - mostly residents of the city of Ruse. The development of these practices has a direct bearing on the usability of the new services. To stimulate such behavior and build habits for separate disposal, complex efforts are necessary - both in the direction of raising awareness and counteracting misinformation, and with the aim of presenting separate disposal as an accessible, achievable and meaningful practice based on the individual contribution of each person. There are sustainable practices for unregulated disposal of the various categories of waste, spread among between 1/5 and 1/3 of the inhabitants of the municipality, depending on the type of waste. The most significant among them is the share of specific waste disposed to/around the general containers. A large part of these practices are the result of the lack of an accessible and convenient way for their regulated disposal in or around specific settlements - a problem that the creation of mobile stations under the current project can directly address.

The study also recorded a relatively low level of awareness of the currently existing additional services in the municipality, such as containers for disposing of old clothes and shoes, hazardous waste collection campaigns, free distribution of composters for organic waste. The management and communication of these services with citizens shows gaps that should be filled and not allowed with the introduction of the new services. The sociological survey conducted in the Tutrakan Municipality established the following attitudes and practices of the citizens, which are related to the communication activities undertaken under the project BGENVIRONMENT-3.002-0005-C02"Measures to improve waste management in the municipalities of Ruse, Tutrakan, Slivo Pole and Vetovo", as well as to the overall communication and waste management in the municipality:

• High degree of satisfaction with the management of garbage collection and garbage disposal processes with a total of 74% positive evaluations.
• Although not widespread (up to 37%), among the main problems stands out the lack of sufficient containers for all kinds of waste - both household and specific, for separate collection of paper, plastic, metal, glass. The practices of some residents to throw away and pollute around the containers are also problematic. As a result of the lack of sufficient containers, but also as a result of poor awareness and culture, the separate disposal of plastic, metal, paper and glass waste is still not a well-developed practice in the municipality - 73% do not dispose of even a small part of your waste. The finding that the youngest generations are the least active in this regard is alarming. An additional contribution to the weak activity in separate collection is the weak communication about the availability of such containers – up to ¼ of the residents of settlements where there are actually colorful containers claim that there are none.
 • In addition to the objective factors preventing the separate disposal of waste, a strong barrier is also established misinformation and prejudice on this issue. The most frequently expressed by them is that separate collection is pointless, since all the garbage goes to one place.
Without overcoming these stereotypes, it is difficult to create a lasting and mass culture of waste disposal and responsible civic behavior.

• Currently, a significant part of specific waste is disposed of unregulated. It is common practice to dispose of them in household waste containers, where hazardous waste, old clothes and textiles, but also construction waste and old equipment are most often left there. These practices are the result of several factors: insufficient containers for specific waste; poor awareness of disposal options - both as available containers and as campaigns organized by the municipality; probably low awareness also regarding the terms and conditions for collecting specific waste. 
• At the same time, the useful readiness for civil activity in cases of unregulated disposal is relatively high - more than half of the residents express a willingness to report - especially in the municipality. A significant proportion of citizens would cooperate and, if necessary, testify against offenders (46% in total), but mostly on the condition that their anonymity is preserved. The expectations for communication in relation to the order, the possibilities, the conditions for garbage collection are different depending on the social groups. For the young, highly and medium-educated generations, both information on the garbage receptacles themselves, in populated areas, and online channels, especially the Facebook page of the Municipality, would be useful. For older generations, people in villages, of Turkish ethnicity, personal communication with local municipal officials is key to receive timely information on the subject.

The survey carried out in the Municipality of Slivo Pole establishes the following main directions in the attitudes of the citizens, which are related to the introduction of new services and containers under the project BGENVIRONMENT-3.002-0005-C02 "Measures to improve waste management in the municipalities of Ruse, Tutrakan, Slivo Pole and Veto':

• A relatively high degree of satisfaction with the management of the garbage collection and garbage disposal process in the municipality with a total of 58% positive evaluations.
• The lack of containers for specific types of waste, including the limited number of those for separate collection of waste from plastic, metal, glass and paper, 
are cited as the main problems in relation to waste disposal.
•  As a consequence of this, the separate collection and disposal of such waste is an extremely limited practice, as 90% of the municipality's population does not dispose of even a minimal part of their garbage separately. An additional problem in this regard is the low visibility and popularity of colored containers, even in populated areas where they have been located for about 5 years. 

•Presence of unregulated practices for disposal of specific types of waste, motivated by traditional behavior in the community, and in this regard, great potential of the composters envisaged in the project for wide public use. 
• Extremely weak civic activity and readiness to react/signal when unregulated waste disposal is detected. 
• Very high potential for using the new services and vessels under the project, but under two conditions- location close to home and free use (no increase or with a minimal increase in the garbage fee). 
• Expectations for communicating the new services in two main directions - non-personalized and accessible by displaying information on the waste receptacles themselves, as well as through stickers located in different places in the city; personalized – through personal contact and receiving verbal information from municipal officials. The conducted representative research in the municipality of Vetovo confirms that the implementation of the project has a significant potential to contribute to the improvement of waste management. At the same time, local authorities are faced with a number of challenges regarding the behavior patterns of households when generating waste and their attitudes towards waste collection processes. Among them, especially important is the creation of a basic understanding of why it is necessary to dispose separately. The currently applied models rather give indications that most residents are not aware of the problem of unregulated waste disposal at all, much less the need for separate disposal. In this sense, it is crucial that citizens first realize that this is a problem – in terms of environmental impact, cost to themselves, etc., so that they can gradually change their waste disposal habits as well. In general, the results of the research confirm the need for the additional containers and mobile centers for disposal of specific types of waste, which are planned for the project. The need for an accompanying mass information campaign on the new possibilities and benefits of separate and regulated garbage collection is confirmed even more categorically as a key prerequisite for the effective application of the new services and waste management in the municipality. The following main conclusions of the study are outlined:
• Initial widely declared readiness to use the new services (around and over 90%) – special vessels, mobile stations, but under two key conditions for citizens:

- Containers should be provided near homes (between 88 and 90% depending on the type of waste).
- Additional receptacles/facilities should not cost an increase in refuse charges - 84% would not want such receptacles if it would cost them more, only 14% were willing to pay no more than 10% above current charges.
- Unconditional readiness to use the new containers, depending on their application, is stated by between 4-7% of the residents, with the strongest motivation among those who already dispose of all their waste separately. This confirms the need for a strong educational and informational campaign among residents, through which they can become familiar with and convince themselves of the benefits of separate and regulated garbage collection.

• The need for more containers, including for construction, but also for other types of specific waste, is confirmed by the most significant deficits outlined by the respondents in terms of garbage collection and garbage removal in the municipality. Among them is the lack of (enough) containers for non-domestic waste - construction, plant, hazardous, etc. At the same time, the focus is on another important problem - unregulated disposal and pollution by citizens. It is the result of at least two key factors - on the one hand, a lack of sufficient containers, but on the other - a very poorly developed culture of waste disposal among the population.

This document was created within the framework of project BGENVIRONMENT-3.002-0005-C02 "Measures to improve waste management in the municipalities of Ruse, Tutrakan, Slivo Pole and Vetovo", which is implemented with the financial support of the Environmental Protection Program and climate changes'', through the FM of the EEA 2014-2020. All responsibility for the content of the publication is borne by the Municipality of Ruse and under no circumstances can it be considered that this document reflects the official opinion of the Program Operator and/or the Office of The financial mechanism".