La gestione integrata della frazione organica dei rifiuti solidi urbani: aspetti ambientali, progettuali e sociali.

This contribution aims to provide an overview on the municipal solid waste management in Italy. In order to make a correct assessment of the state -of-the-art on this specific topic in the last ten years, it is very important to interpret the statistical analysis of data research, presented in the National Waste Database Report. The problem of rubbish does not determinate a emergency situation only in Naples, but this case study is an example of a global phenomenon. The main purpose of this study is to analyse, particularly, the orga nic fraction and the implementation of anaerobic digestion and composting for the treatment of the organic fraction municipal solid waste. This is meant to be the “third way”, i.e. a new solution the disposal of the organic fraction of municipal solid wast e as an alternative to the older “everything in the waste yard” and to the future trap of “everything in the incinerator”. The new operational proposal does not become only a solution for the waste problem, but as well as on answer to the energy crisis (wi th the production of biogas) and to the process of soil degradation (with the use of compost) . The separate collection of biodegradable waste and the composting and anaerobic digestion of this type of waste plays an important role in the field of waste man agement in Veneto while the mechanical biological treatment in Campania is a failure. The municipal solid waste treatment plant with anaerobic digestion and composting located in Bassano del Grappa (VI) is a clear example of this new way of waste managemen t which is strictly connected to aspects related to the territorial characteristics. Not only the technical aspects of the system are analysed, but also the environmental and social aspects. The study is not limited to plants: the separate collection of t he biowaste is crucial to ensure pureness of the material. People generate waste and without their active cooperation and participation it is not possible to implement sustainable integrated waste management systems. The cooperation of citizens to particip ate in separate biowaste collection is essential to obtain a good quality of material to be treated and to produce sustainable solutions to waste management problems . The effect of the improvement in the citizen participation is to replace “communal collection point” with door-to-door collection of food waste allows, but in San Nazario, a small valley town, it is not possible this option