Assessing household waste management practices : enhancing separation and recycling with integration into the circular economy

Abstract

This thesis examines the household waste management system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a specific focus on the efficiency of waste separation and recycling. The efficiency of household waste separation was assessed through a structured survey, while recycling performance was analyzed by evaluating the operations of industrial waste treatment facilities. The survey analysis revealed that the most significant obstacles reported by respondents were related to insufficient infrastructure, inadequate education, and limited environmental awareness. The analysis of industrial-level waste separation and recycling facilities highlighted critical shortcomings, including underdeveloped infrastructure, low separation rates, and minimal recycling output. The findings of this research clearly indicate the existence of systemic challenges within the household waste management system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Accordingly, a set of targeted measures has been proposed to improve both household-level waste separation practices and the performance of recycling systems.