Packaging waste collection systems are responsible to collect, within a geographic area, three types
of packaging materials (paper, glass and plastic/metal) that are disposed by the final consumer into
special bins. Those systems are often characterized by having a network with multiple depots that act as
transfer and sorting stations, and where the vehicle fleet is based. However, each depot is often managed
independently andnot as apart of aunique system.Inthis work,four currenttactical/operationalpractices
that contribute to the independent management of each depot are analysed. The change of such practices
is investigated and their impact assessed on the total collection cost. A solution methodology based on
mathematical formulations is developed to plan service areas, vehicle routes and vehicle schedules taking
into account new alternative solutions in managing the system as a whole. Such methodology is applied to
a real case study of a company responsible for the collection of the packaging waste in 7 municipalities in
mainland Portugal. New service areas, collection routes and vehicle schedules are defined and significant
savings are obtained in terms of the total distance travelled as well as in terms of the number of required
vehicles, resulting in a decreasing of the total system cost.