Landfill solutions in the Netherlands

History and strategy of Dutch landfill minimization

October 2009 © NVRD

Erik de Baedts

NVRD Managing DirectorMWE President ISWA Board Member

Royal Dutch Solid Waste Association

Contents

• Landfill in the Netherlands: historic overview• Towards landfill minimization• Organizational, regulatory and financial

measures• Avoiding practices• Contemporary situation• Future perspectives

Royal Dutch Solid Waste Association• Members:

– Municipalities (190 members) – Public waste management companies, mainly local and regional

(127 members = almost 100%)

=> covering over 90% of all Dutch Municipalities and over 95% population

– Other waste management organisations, 152 members, national network• Represents the (public) waste management sector • Aims from a public perspective:

– Pro-active policy development and serving of interests– Knowledge centre for waste management– Network for professionalization of waste management activities– Enhancing the image of the waste management sector

with its dynamics, innovation and societal interest

• European activities : Municipal Waste Europe, active member• International activities : ISWA, active member for long

Historic overview

CBS/Senternovem

Landfilling and incineration in the Netherlands 1985-2007 (million tons)

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1985

1986

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Landfilling Incineration

Million

tons

Development of waste treatment in NL

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1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Discharge: 1%

Landfill: 4%

Recovery: 83%

Million

tons

Incineration: 12%

Historic overview (II)

• Before 1970: every municipality operated their own landfill site• VAM: Large national landfill capacity in Wijster (Drenthe) • Late 1960’s: environmental awareness; raise of green policies;

Stricter requirements for emissions to soil • From 1970-1990: municipal cooperation• At the same time increasing focus on environmental protection• Introduction of a waste hierarchy or ‘Ladder van Lansink’ (1979)

Ad Lansink

Waste hierarchy

Historic overview (III)

• 1979: introduction of the Waste Law: household waste was to be treated in own province.• Directive: waste reduction and separation• Led to search for new ways of waste processing• Ending contracts with the Wijster landfill site not renewed• Result: decreasing landfill through 1980’s

• Halfway the 1980’s: no more waste import to Drenthe• 1990-2000: increase of incineration capacity; aftercare obligation;

waste amounts to landfill reduced considerably• 1980’s: 200 landfill sites 2000: 25 landfill sites in operation• By the beginning of the 1990’s: Capacity of waste incineration

plants not fully used: landfilling was still cheaper• Hence: national regulation needed!

Organizational measures

• AOO (from 1990): Alliance for organized waste policy– Cooperation between all levels of government,

waste companies and environmental organizations– Concrete policy framework– Monitoring and evaluation of waste management

programmes

• Environmental Management Act (1993)– Adoption of waste hierarchy– Separate collection of organic household waste compulsory

Organizational measures (II)

• LAP (National waste management plan) since 2003– Integration of hazardous and non-hazardous waste policies– Consists of three parts:

• Policy framework with policy headlines for waste prevention and management

• 34 sector plans for specific waste categories• Two capacity plans for incineration and landfill

• Municipalities had time to develop cooperation and invest in human resources and expertise

Weighbridge and registration

Inspection Leachate treatment plant

Landfill gas extraction

Regulatory measures

• Landfill ban by law (1995): no more municipal waste to landfill• Residues permitted to landfill• Problems:

– Broad interpretation of residues

– Ban as long as incineration plants have capacity

Processing costs (per 1000 kg, taxes not included)

• Landfilling € 20• Composting € 20• Digestate € 30• Incineration € 60-130 down to….

• Recycling € 80 market value secondary product

Financial measures

• Landfill taxes (1995)• As a part of a ‘green’ policy

initially not so much as a solution for the landfill issue• Differentiated: Higher tax for non-ignitable and reusable waste• Problems:

– Non-reuseable waste cheaper: waste ‘re-labelling’ to reduce costs

– From 2001: export to Germany (tax free landfilling);

(mainly business waste)

Effects of landfill taxes (1995)

Avoiding practices

• Broad interpretation of the from landfill ban excepted residues • Export to countries with no landfill ban• Re-labelling of waste: ‘clean’ streams became residues, mixing• Intentional waste pollution lower landfill taxes • Container overload to create the illusion of a higher weight density

(hazardous waste is heavier and could still be landfilled..)• Strong inspection and maintenance regime required…

Landfilling and incineration in the Netherlands 1985-2007 (million tons)

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10

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16

18

1985

1986

1987

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1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

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1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Landfilling Incineration

Environmental Management Act

Waste separation initiatives

Landfill ban and taxes German landfill ban

Increasing incineration capacity

Waste export

Contemporary situation

• German landfill-ban since 2005• Differentiated landfill fees:

– High tax: ignitable and recyclable waste

– Low tax: non-ignitable and not recyclable, inert waste

• Vast amount of new incineration plants were built• Overcapacity incineration• From regional to national responsibility; centralization (Welschen)• Earning capacity of landfill sites at stake: Public utility

Conclusions

• Power & success of Dutch waste management policy:– Consultation and orientation between all authorities– Combination of financial and regulatory instruments

• Authorities kept control over start (collection) and end (landfill) of the waste management chain.

• Authorities had a good grip on realisation of policy targets for municipal solid waste.

Future perspectives

• Avoid pitfalls; tackle avoiding practices:

“It takes a thief to catch a thief”

• Towards recycling, reuse and prevention• Invest in waste separation for recycling and tackle overcapacity

in incineration in NL. Import of Italian waste?!• Clear and integral organization and policy structures

(like AOO and LAP) of vital importance

to tackle future waste management issues

Future development: sustainable landfill

• No unacceptable emission during and after operation• Solve environmental problems with own generation• Achieve a stable situation after completion• End aftercare when that situation is reached• www.sustainablelandfillfoundation.eu

• Transform landfills into recycling centres

Past

Present

Future

Design

Carpet Production/Fashion

Retail

Consumption

2009 © NVRD

Design

Resources

Production

Marketing

Consumption

Resources

Sector Design

Industry

Consumption

Textile Aluminium Electronics

- Knowledge

- Sorting (treatment)

- Logistics

X/Y/Z Instruments

Ecodesign

Producers Responsibility?

Reimbursement schemes?

Positive triggers?

Waste Management