the investigation, because present study focused only on the
packaging material and not on the packed product, which could
require special storage and depend on the consumer behaviour.
Furthermore, the weight of bottles and an average density of
beverage by 1 g*ml1 were taken into account in the distribution
system.
The collection system was divided into two sub-systems, the
non-selective and selective collection. A bulky collection by
garbage-truck was distinguished from the selective collection. In
the case of bulky collection scenario, the waste bottles or cans were
collected together with the municipal solid mixed. During this
transport increased waste mass was assumed on the basis of
average packaging material content of the Hungarian municipal
waste in 2007, which was around 1.5 wt. % (Buzasi, 2007; Gurin
et al., 2009). It means 60 folds larger weight had to be transported.
Since the sorting and recycling of bulky collected waste
mixture is either not suitable or too expensive, only the landfill or
the incineration of municipal solid waste was modelled in this case.
The scenario of selective collection was divided into four subscenarios
assuming the following compression degree of bottles:
The PET and PLA-bottles were compressed by 1/2 of volume, the Alcans
and carton with 1/8 by volume, while the volume compression
of glass bottles were assumed by a minimal value (1/1.5 e partially
breakage). The bottle material were recycled into secondary materials
after each selective collection using an appropriate recycling
process (see Table S2 and S3).
1. The existing system of supermarkets represents a potential way
for a selective waste bottle collection in particular by applying a
deposit-refund system (Lavee, 2010). The consumers transported
the empty beverage packaging in uncompressed form
into the supermarkets, where the compressible packaging materials
were baled. The term of “deposit-refund” was used to
identify this method in the text.
2. Collecting at collection points modelled the kerbside collection
where the consumers bring their empty bottles to containers,
which are standing at the side of the streets near uptown areas.
Containers are systematically emptied by smaller 3.5 ton lorry.
This method was called “collection point (kerbside)”.
3. Bag collection was based on a sort of kerbside collection. The
consumer collects the packaging materials in big bags at home,
and these are systematically collected by lorry (3.5 t). The term
“kerbside bag” was used in this paper.