The non-homogenous situation of selective collection in neighbouring municipalities in Italy often create difficulties among the citizens, but can offer a good opportunity for a deeper knowledge of the problems of this sector, in order to find an ad hoc solution. In this paper two case-studies are analyzed: a city characterized by a curbside collection and a district consisted of seven different municipalities with a strong tourist presence. The tourism area is trying to improve its selective collection efficiency, thus the analysis of other realities can help the administration to make choices.