Solid waste management in the Arctic

Arctic cities face unique challenges in managing their solid waste due to their relatively small size, remote location, extreme and rapidly changing climate, and boom-bust economies. We compare solid waste management practices across Arctic and non-Arctic cities employing the International Standard ISO 37120 Sustainable cities and communities - Indicators for city services and quality of life, published by the International Organization for Standardization in 2018. Generally, Arctic residents produce more waste annually (0.62 tons per capita versus 0.3 tons per capita globally), while seeing lower rates of collection (90% versus 100% in many but not all cities) and recycling relatively little compared to other cities (11% on average versus 20% globally), though there is considerable variation both north and south. In contrast to other areas, economic development does not explain the amount of waste generated by Arctic residents, though city wealth does provide some explanation for solid waste management practices. Most importantly, we found that in the far north, high levels of political participation correlate strongly with better waste management practices. Methodologically, we conclude that ISO 37120 is a useful metric because it is comparable across cities, relatively easy to measure, and offers a growing store of city-level data on waste and sustainability measures that help to explain differences in waste management practices across cities. To improve on existing conditions, Arctic cities should prioritize implementing methods to reduce waste production and increase recycling.