What is a garbage chute, and who deals with odor nuisances at building entrances?

Who is unfamiliar with the unpleasant smells and unsightly appearance of large garbage bins installed at the entrances to residential buildings—even in new neighborhoods being occupied today?

Environmental and aesthetic nuisances caused by huge garbage bins in front of buildings

Recently, buyers of new apartments who paid enormous sums for their homes have been protesting the environmental and aesthetic nuisances created by huge garbage bins at building fronts. Odor nuisances are harder to address in residential buildings with dozens of apartments, all disposing of enormous quantities of waste every day.

Planning and building regulations on minimizing health risks

It is important to know that, to address the nuisances caused by garbage bins, planning and building regulations were enacted in 2019 and came into force at the beginning of 2020. They lay down provisions for minimizing risks to human health, sanitation hazards and environmental nuisances, including air pollution and odors, and require developers to install modern, accessible and safe waste-storage facilities according to clear professional rules.

Among other things, the regulations require two waste chutes, or a branching chute, in a high-rise building containing 60 housing units sharing a common vertical core.

What is a waste chute?

A waste chute is a pipe-like installation through which residents can dispose of waste from their own floor into a compliant, ventilated container, providing maximum convenience while minimizing people's exposure to odor nuisances. The regulations also authorize the local authority to require waste chutes in other buildings, not only those with 60 housing units. However, local authorities appear to be in no hurry to implement the regulations in the spirit intended by the legislature. It therefore seems that only increased awareness among apartment buyers of the new regulations will exert pressure on developers and local authorities to build better buildings, improve waste-disposal solutions compared with the practices common until 2019, and thereby improve everyone's quality of life.