Spatial Analysis of the Biodegradable Municipal Waste Production and Disposal

Separate collection of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) is the main precondition to decrease the environmental pollution by landfill gas as well as to enrich soil by the humus substances from municipal compost. However, the obligation to ensure the separation and treatment of the BMW increases the municipalities' costs for waste management. Rural areas differ from the urban ones not only by typical lifestyle, settlement character, but also by total BMW production. The urban areas do have easier access to public finances, therefore, most of them already dispose sufficient infrastructure for BMW gathering and treatment. The aim of our research was to analyze the spatial production and disposal of the biodegradable municipal waste and propose, in regard to legislation, efficient BMW treatment for rural areas of the Nitra region. The analysis revealed that only 23% of the examined municipalities dispose through composting. However, 92% of them have the estimated annual BMW production from public green areas not exceeding 100t. Organic waste processing could be managed by municipalities through “small composting” which does not require the approval by the state body in waste management.