One of the pilots of the Catalan cluster is a citizen science project improving the selective collection of municipal waste, which involves all actors of the quadruple helix – government (both local and regional), academia, private sector and citizens.
In Mollet del Vallès, the current share of the selective collection is 39%, far from the 55% target set to be achieved by 2025 by the European Union. To increase its efficiency, the city council is considering the implementation of innovative selective collection systems (smart containers and door-to-door collection), but first, it wants to involve the citizens, taking into account their preferences.
Currently, there is little information in Mollet on these preferences and variables that citizens take into account when adopting or rejecting innovations, or the reasons for opposing changes. It’s also of utmost importance that the citizens have prior information and reflect on the pros and cons of these systems in order to issue an informed opinion.