Hazards Out! Workshop #5

On 3 June 2026, the Hazards Out community gathered online for the fifth episode of the Hazards Out series of workshops dedicated to the separate collection of household hazardous waste (HHW) in Europe. Workshop 5 focused on one of the key challenges of HHW management – how to effectively communicate to and engage citizens in the separate collection of HHW.  

The event brought together 55 participants from local and regional authorities, waste management operators, industry, academia, NGOs, and other stakeholders to exchange experiences and discuss practical approaches to improving citizens’ understanding of HHW and their participation in the separate collection. The workshop also provided an opportunity to present the Hazards Out Joint Declaration on the Effective Separate Collection and Management of Household Hazardous Waste, outlining key considerations to support the implementation of HHW collection systems across Europe. 

The first case explored the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events in Ireland. Carol Sweetnam, Senior Executive Scientist at the Southern Regional Waste Management Planning Office presented their approach for centralised coordination and citizen engagement through dedicated, convenient, and free local collection of a wide range of hazardous materials from households. It is a temporally collection point complimentary to the civil amenity sites organised by the Regional waste management Office. She highlighted the importance of coordination between local authorities, waste operators and citizens for effective HHW collection and outlined the clear communication, simple sorting instructions, and consistent messaging as the key factors for successful campaigns.  

“Centralised coordination leads to standardised communications and lower burden on local authorities. Citizen engagement in HHW collection can be guaranteed by a free and convenient service.”  

Stefanie Painsith from the Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies (VOEB) presented the BATTINCENTIVE pilot project, a pilot awareness-raising campaign aimed at increasing the separate collection of lithium-ion batteries. The case explored awareness raising through incentives combining communication, gamification, and voucher system to encourage the safe return of batteries and raise awareness about the growing risks associated with improper disposal, particularly battery fires. She explained how targeted campaigns can make hazardous waste topics more visible and accessible to citizens while promoting behavioural change. “Incentivisation and digital support help citizens participate and care about waste management issues.” The role of retailers was also explored and participants learned that successful communication campaigns require clear messaging, stakeholder engagement, and practical incentives that motivate citizens to act. 

The final case study was delivered by Mário Ramos, assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, who shared research findings on citizens’ perceptions and practices regarding the separation of household hazardous waste. 

The research was carried out before the mandatory separate collection and explored the factors influencing citizens’ disposal decisions and identified several barriers to proper HHW sorting such as limited awareness, uncertainty about what constitutes hazardous waste, and lack of information about available collection options. At the same time, the findings highlighted the importance of convenient collection systems, and targeted communication in improving participation. 

“People perceive the risk in different ways and the most important factor is information on how to dispose of the waste. Citizen communication should also address how people perceive the risk of HHW.” He reaffirmed the need for evidence-based communication strategies that are tailored to citizens’ current perceptions, motivations, and local circumstances. 

The discussion during the workshop outlined several considerations for effective citizen communication including: 

• Citizen awareness and participation are essential for effective HHW collection systems. 

• Communication should be clear, practical, and focused on helping citizens identify hazardous products in their homes on the one hand and informing them about the proper disposal on the other. 

• Convenience and accessibility are important drivers of citizen engagement. 

• Targeted campaigns can effectively address specific waste streams such as HHW and emerging risks such as lithium-ion batteries, etc. 

• Research and behavioural insights can help design more effective communication campaigns and collection schemes. 

The workshop confirmed that while legislation provides the framework for separate collection, achieving effective HHW management requires collaboration between public authorities, waste operators, industry, and researchers for active citizen participation. While citizens need the information and convenience to participate and understand their role and the importance of separate collection of HHW.