Circular models can be both sustainable and profitable—if developed with the right partners. But is municipal waste collection truly a core competence? Urban waste collection is a complex challenge. In many cities, residents and businesses struggle with persistent litter on the streets. Despite the efforts of frontline staff, stricter rules, and awareness campaigns, waste problems keep recurring. Frustrations run high, and yet residents and entrepreneurs themselves often contribute to the problem, sometimes unknowingly, by presenting waste incorrectly.
In recent years, waste collection in Amsterdam has deteriorated. Conflicts between city districts and central management, the closure of collection yards, and a patchwork of operators have created fragmentation and a lack of control. At the same time, deep budget cuts have eroded capacity. Over the past decade, Amsterdam has cut at least €60–70 million from its cleaning and collection budgets, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of frontline jobs. Staff shortages and high absenteeism mean that waste rounds are often incomplete, especially during illness or holidays.
More funding is needed, but the system also requires smarter and more efficient solutions. Investments in zero-emission fleets, charging infrastructure, smart containers, and data analytics have been postponed or scaled back. Opportunities to pilot circular logistics or return flows remain underused. Meanwhile, the waste tax for households remains flat, with extra costs absorbed by general municipal revenues.
A more integrated and professional approach is required. Better communication with residents, multilingual information, sufficient containers, and local clean-up teams can help. More vigorous enforcement and fair incentives are also essential. At the organizational level, responsibilities should be streamlined, not fragmented. Collection yards could be transformed into multifunctional urban hubs that support logistics, small-scale manufacturing, and circular initiatives.
Technology can play a decisive role: smaller electric vehicles, waterborne transport links, predictive data models, and AI can all make collection safer and more efficient. But people remain key—staff must be supported and engaged in the transition, especially in times of severe driver shortages across Europe.
International expertise should not be ignored. Many global cities outsource waste collection to specialized companies, such as Renewi, PreZero, and Remondis, which bring innovation, data-driven operations, and circular economy concepts. Why not leverage that knowledge locally?
Bulky waste management also needs rethinking. A purely digital appointment system without vigorous enforcement or neighborhood drop-off points is insufficient. Collaborating with reuse organizations and designing reverse logistics around bulky waste would deliver both cleaner streets and circular value.
Ultimately, circular ecosystems in cities require public-private collaboration, shared data, and new business models. Waste collection is only one piece of a broader circular transition, where social value and resource scarcity also matter. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Experimentation, collaboration, and persistence are essential. The key question remains: should municipalities continue to do it themselves, or let others do it better, smarter, and more sustainably?
Walther Ploos van Amstel.