Sustainable Waste Management (SWM) in the Netherlands

Herman Huisman

CapeTown, May 24th, 2018

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Content

• General information and data

• Pathway towards CE (development in three stages)

• Second stage : towards an integrated SWM - Policy goals, instruments and measures - WtE / Biowaste / Recycling performances

• Third stage: towards a Circular Economy

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Netherlands pathway towards a CE

Focus on Collection

Technical fix

Integrated Waste Policy

Circular economy

1975 1990 2013

Management scale

Public health Private collectors for metal scrap, textiles, food remains, paper,

coal, ashes

Environmental Protection, focus

on leachate, gas control, flue gas cleaning

Diversion from landfill Professionalizing,

increase market role, EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) systems in place, upscaling waste operation, institutional & responsibility issues, landfill bans & taxes

Circular economy, SDG’s / SCP International cooperation

Chain approach, Resource & product policy, Closing the loop

1875

Municipal

Regional

National

Global

I II III

National Waste Management Plan

Europe

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RWS management area (2): Environment

Implementing national waste Implementing a circular economy

policy (since 1990) policy (since 2013)

National Waste Management Plan 2009-2021

From a linear to a circular production

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Towards an integrated SWM (second stage)

Waste policy goals:

1.Zero landfill

2.Restrictive use of WtE

3.Increase and maximize recycling

Waste Hierarchy

• Implement instruments and measures in accordance with the waste hierarchy

• Enlarge private participation and responsibility

• Optimize economic scale of operation cooperation and merging of activities

• Induce further technical development and innovations

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Policy instruments and measures

1. Landfill bans and landfilling tax

2. Mandatory separate collection of bio-waste

3. Plan and licence WtE capacity only for non-recyclable waste

4. Minimum treatment standards per waste stream /material for recycling

5. Introduce Extended Producers Responsibility

6. Set ambitious targets for recycling;

7. Educating citizens to participate in recycling schemes

8. Monitoring of waste figures (weighing, reporting) and track transports of waste

9. Control and enforcement on regulation

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Impact of landfill tax on landfilling

-

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

6,0

7,0

8,0

9,0

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Am

ou

nt la

nd

fille

d (M

illio

n to

nn

es

)

La

nd

fill ta

x (€ p

er to

nn

e)

Year

"Landfill Tax"

"Waste land filled"

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Separate bio-waste in Netherlands

Food and garden waste - 1.371 ktons /year

• From households,kitchens, auctions, offices, etc

• In households: residual waste still includes ca 40 % biowaste

Processing

• Minimum treatment standard (MTS):

– Composting

– Digestion and post composting or other aerobic processing(recycling)

• Digestion more and more popular : in 2014 30%> 2013

• Producing 693 kt compost

Green waste - 2.800 ktons/year

MTS added: wood part for energy purposes.

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Composting

• Agriculture (70% in 2014)

• landscape maintenance

• Horticulture

• Potting soil

Digesting-Biogas

• Warmth (70%)

• Electricity (21 %)

• Gas (quality) 9%

• CO2 (new)

Traditional bio-waste products

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Use of recycled organics on soils in EU

Organics in

residual waste

Biological Treatment - Composting or Digestion

Mixed municipal

solid waste

Sep. collected Organics

Stabilised

organics

Waste

compost

Product for the market

Restricted

application

Controlled

application

Good practice application

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Additional bio-waste product options

Transport fuels fibres

bioplastics (PHA, PLA)

Fly larvae

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Adding new recycling schemes and setting up waste stream control management

High recycling rates All waste: 81% Household waste: 52%

Waste tracking and monitoring system

Professional and competitive waste sector

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Introduce extended producers responsibility

Ministry of infrastructure & Environment

EPR regulation

and control

Batteries WEEE Packaging Car tyres ELV

Create a stable collection system Create awareness and environmentally responsible behavior Contribute to “design for recycling” and “ecodesign” Prevent illegal trade and export Annual Reporting on collection and recycling performance

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Municipal recycling centres

Dutch waste streams to be sorted:

a. WEEE;

b. Asbestos;

c. A-wood & B-wood;

d. C-wood;

e. Soil, separated following legal classifications;

f. Gas tanks, fire extinguishers, pressure equipment;

g. Car tires;

h. Roof waste;

i. Expanded polystyrene foam;

j. Mixed stone material, not being asphalt or gypsum;

k. Gypsum;

l. Gross garden waste;

m. Hard plastics;

n. Mattresses;

o. Metals;

p. Paper and cardboard;

q. Textiles, not being carpet;

r. Flat glass

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>> Focus on environment

Waste to Energy

Capacity: 7.7 Mton

Produced electricity: 4,000 GWh

Produced heat: 14 PJ

18% of the renewable energy in the Netherlands

Restrictive capacity planning ended in 2004: 50% new capacity built since

then overcapacity of > 2 Mton in 2017

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Municipal waste tax per collection system: costs per household per year (2015)

Waste tax system Average costs (€)

Average fixed rate(€)

Average variable rates

Volume 242 n.v.t.

Volume & frequency 201 117 € 6,99/container residual and € 0,99/container bio wasted

Expensive bag 206 144 € 1,08/bag residual and € 0,02/bag bio-waste

Expensive bag + persons per hh 169 1141 1462 € 0,97/bag residual and € 0/bag bio waste

Weight 199 110 € 0,22/kilo residual and € 0,20/kilo bio waste

Weight & frequency 211 120 € 0,22/kilo residual and € 0,10/kilo bio waste

Volume, frequency and persons per hh 237

1251 1662

€ 5,86/container residual and € 0,32/container bio waste

1. One person household; 2. multiple person household

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Performance MSW 2016 (Eurostat)

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Result in 2014: only minor amount to landfill

General presentation 19 Sunday, 27 May 2018

…2% landfilling, 81 % recycling and 17% WtE, but more can be done (both in quantity and quality)....

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Balance 2013 and future prospective

• Recycling rate stabilized: 81% all waste streams and 52 % household waste

• Waste policy was sufficient for achieving ‘zero’ landfill but still far from being circular when still 40% material of household waste is lost by WtE

• Further decrease of the amount of residual waste and further increase the recycling rate is feasible with new efforts

• Reversed collection seems to be setting the new standard in (rural) areas

• Bulky waste has scope for improvements

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Moving towards Resource Management

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

WASTE MANAGEMENT WASTE PREVENTION

Extraction

Manufacturing

Transport Distribution Purchasing

Use

Re-use

Separate

Collection

Recycling

Other treatment and recovery

Reduction at source Sustainable consumption

Avoided waste flows Diverted waste flows

Waste Minimization

Preparing for Re-use

PRODUCTION CONSUMPTION END OF LIFE

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Waste to Resource Program (2013) - first steps towards a circular policy -

• Reduce losses: 10 to 5 million tonnes in 10 years

• Improve separation of household waste: 52% now, 75% in 2020

(per person 2013 ca 250 kg -> 2020 ca 100 kg )

• Creating economic incentives

• Working with frontrunners

• Removal of counter productive (legal) restraints and impediments

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Adapting new instruments

Green Deals

• Public private cooperation / Private initiative / Legal basis: covenant

• Approximately 185 deals running at the moment

• Examples in phosphate value chain, C&D Concrete, slags WtE and plastic value chain. Creating a market for recycled phosphate, cleaned slags, recycled plastic, improved granulates and re-use cement

Promoting new business models

Circular criteria in (public) procurement

‘Closing the loop’ for products

• Cooperation government private parties, NGO’s, etc

• Selected products: diapers, bituminous roofing waste, food (waste prevention) matrasses, textiles

Bio-based products (replacing technical by biological components)

More EPR ??

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Entering now the final stage: towards CE

Principles:

1. Sustainable ------- -- ------------------------> sourcing (producers)

2. Closing ----------- --> the loops

(market + gov)

1. Minimise material -------------------------------> losses (low WtE, no landfilling)

(gov)

Separate collection of biological materials

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Waste is a choice

Herman.huisman@rws.nl

The choice is (y)ours