Environmental and Social Impacts of Community-Based Household Plastic Waste Collection for High-Value Recycling

Community-based collection of household plastic waste (HPW) is expanding in Japan as a way to produce high-value post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials. These systems set up collection points where residents bring recyclable items and sort them into designated bins. However, the environmental impacts of such systems and their advantages over municipal collection remain insufficiently understood, and discussion on the burden placed on residents is limited. This study empirically analyses HPW collection and recycling in community-based systems and examines approaches to producing high-value PCR from environmental and resident-burden perspectives. Environmental impact assessments were conducted for municipal and community-based collection. The time required for residents to wash items before segregation was also evaluated as a burden using questionnaire surveys. A scenario for collecting and recycling five HPW types in Kobe City, Japan, was developed, and environmental impacts and resident burdens were quantified. Results show that community-based collection achieves 3.75 kg-CO2eq of avoided annual greenhouse gas emissions per household compared with incineration but requires 1.72 h of annual washing time. High-value PCR production depends on resident cooperation during segregation. Clear communication is essential to achieve environmental and economic benefits while minimising additional burdens on residents.