Spatial Analysis of Fragmented Waste Management Systems Using GIS: A Decision-Support Framework for Urban Optimization

Urban waste management represents a critical challenge for contemporary cities, particularly in contexts where multiple, fragmented recycling systems coexist under different operational schemes. Such fragmentation often leads to inefficiencies, unequal spatial coverage, increased operational costs, and reduced recycling performance.

This study aims to develop an integrated spatial analysis framework for evaluating the performance of fragmented urban waste management systems and identifying opportunities for system-level optimization. In contrast to conventional approaches that focus on individual waste streams, the proposed methodology simultaneously examines multiple coexisting collection subsystems, capturing their spatial interaction and combined service coverage.

The approach is implemented using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistical analysis in the city of Patras, Greece, a Mediterranean urban environment characterized by the coexistence of multiple recycling schemes operated by different entities. A comprehensive geospatial database was developed, mapping all collection points across waste categories. Accessibility was assessed through proximity-based service coverage analysis, allowing the evaluation of population access to different recycling streams. Spatial analysis techniques were employed to identify areas of high and low service provision (hotspots and coldspots), while spatial autocorrelation indicators, including Moran’s I, were used to quantify patterns of clustering and spatial inequality in infrastructure distribution.

The results reveal significant spatial disparities in access to recycling infrastructure and highlight structural inefficiencies associated with the fragmented system. By integrating multiple layers of accessibility and infrastructure distribution, the analysis provides a more comprehensive assessment of service gaps compared to single-stream approaches.

The study contributes to the development of a decision-support framework for the reorganization and integration of multi-operator waste management systems, particularly in dense urban environments with high levels of institutional and operational fragmentation. The proposed approach supports the transition toward more efficient, spatially balanced, and sustainable waste management strategies.