Governing the complexity: Solid waste services in the metropolitan area of Barcelona

Abstract

In most European countries, local governments must provide waste collection, transportation and treatment services. However, the form of production for delivering the service chosen by local governments differs from one city to another. The decision on how to provide the service has usually been approached in a simple way, by either public or private production. However, solid waste services are becoming increasingly complex, and governing this complexity has become a challenge for governments and practitioners. Here we discuss the case of the metropolitan area of Barcelona, where a new and ad hoc intergovernmental agency has been created to manage the complexity. Since this metropolitan area includes a huge geographical agglomeration around Barcelona, this becomes a complex management system that makes this case study of great interest.

Notes

1 There are two exceptions to the general rule: Sant Andreu de la Barca (24,863 inhabitants) and Barberà del Vallès (27,827 inhabitants) decided not to charge this fee to their households and paid directly from the budget. This is also the case in Begues, which must pay for the use of the Vall d'en Joan landfill, located in the municipality.