The Guidelines for Separate Collection on Minor Islands were created to provide island municipalities with a technical and operational framework to improve the management of municipal waste in particularly complex and sensitive contexts. The minor islands have unique characteristics that directly affect the organisation of collection services, transport to the mainland and the optimisation of management costs.

The document offers a structured analysis of the specific features of island territories, classifies the different types and examines the key challenges associated with waste generation, separation and handling. Based on this analysis, the Guidelines propose technical and operational solutions designed to make the entire system more efficient: from managing organic waste through local practices such as home composting, to reducing bulky materials, through to streamlining transport operations, which represent one of the most significant cost items for every island municipality.

The Guidelines also include examples and best practices developed over time through CONAI’s experience, together with a set of potentially feasible interventions to support local authorities in improving their services.

They are therefore intended as a tool to support authorities, operators and local communities along a path of informed improvement, encouraging more efficient and sustainable waste management aligned with the needs of small‑island areas.