Implementing a waste management strategy
With 37,000 inhabitants, Vernier is the 2nd most populous municipality in Geneva's canton. In recent years, the City of Vernier has been faced with an increase in the amount of incinerated waste and a stagnation in the amount of recycled waste. To meet the new cantonal waste management policy aiming for a 25% reduction in incinerated waste by 2025, Vernier sought an objective assessment from dss+ to optimise outsourced waste management, identify cost-effective measures, and reverse the trend.
Challenge
The town of Vernier reached out dss+ to obtain an objective assessment of its outsourced waste management and identify the implementation measures to optimise the costs and reverse the trend to achieve the cantonal targets.
Solution and methodology
The project began with a comprehensive diagnostic, which compared the performance of Vernier's waste management to that of other municipalities. This was done to demonstrate the economic advantages of investing in a waste management strategy for the city. Five priority areas were identified for which the dss+ team defined specific implementation measures. dss+ supported the implementation process by establishing the framework conditions to operate, including:
- New municipal waste management project leader in place.
- Thorough revision of the essential waste management documents, required for its successful operation.
- New subcontractor requirements specifications set, integrating stringent performance clauses, technological tools to enable better service monitoring, and a plan to optimise waste collection processes.
"The work carried out has enabled us to highlight the levers for action and the issues involved in waste management. The new municipal strategy an the plan of practical, prioritised measures give us a better grasp of the current and future challenges of waste reduction and sustainable resource management."
- Ville de Vernier Executive