Exploring alternative solutions for sustainable waste management in the horticultural greenhouse sector

Abstract

Intensive agriculture is increasingly adopted due to its high productivity. However, it generates significant amounts of waste that are potentially harmful to the environment. For example, greenhouse horticulture is commonly practised in several Mediterranean countries and generates waste that is difficult to manage, especially plastics. Unfortunately, current waste management practices, such as incineration, landfilling or dumping, are often not sustainable. However, there are possible alternative solutions for sustainable waste management. Therefore, the objective of this article is to present alternative systems based on different models of cooperative management of waste generated in the horticultural greenhouse sector. Five alternatives were analysed in terms of their economic, social and environmental sustainability using expert knowledge processed with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results show that there are alternative solutions to manage waste in a more sustainable way in the horticultural greenhouse sector, such as establishing collaboration between cooperative and managers, and the cooperative becoming the waste manager. None of the cooperatives in the region studied have currently implemented these two options. By adopting these alternative solutions, cooperatives can play a key role in promoting sustainable waste management practices in the horticultural greenhouse sector.