Construction and demolition waste: generation and disposal in the Netherlands, 1985-2001
| 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 1997 | 1998* | 1999* | 2000* | 2001* | |
| billion kg | ||||||||
| Total | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| Reuse | 6.1 | 9.3 | 12.8 | 14.9 | 15.8 | 16.6 | 18.0 | 18.4 |
| Incineration | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Landfill | 6.1 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Source: AOO, RIVM; WAR. | RIVM/EDC/Oct02 | |||||||
Amount of construction and demolition waste
The increase in the amount of construction and demolition waste by more than half since 1990 has outstripped the growth of the economy. There has been a major increase in the reuse of construction and demolition waste. In 1990, this was still between 70 and 75%. Estimated recovery in recent years has been almost 95%. Almost all the stony construction and demolition waste is transformed in crushing plants into granulate for recovery (mainly in road construction). Large quantities of wood are also recovered. The substantial rise in the landfill charges has been a powerful moving force in this respect.
Around 1995, the quantity of construction and demolition waste sent to landfill stabilised at approximately 1 billion kg. In early 2000, landfill was banned for construction and demolition waste which could be incinerated or reused.
Technical note
The figures for 1998 through 2001 are indicative because measurements of the quantities of construction and demolition waste sent to and processed in crushing and sorting plants ceased in 1997. However, this is a substantial proportion. Figures from a study carried out for the Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management led to an upward adjustment of the figures from 1998. During the latter half of 2001, the results of research into crushing and sorting plants for 2000 and 2001 will become available. As a result, it will again be possible to determine most of the construction and demolition waste on the basis of measurement results.
References
- RIVM (2001). Monitoring prioritaire afvalstoffen, gegevens 1999. RIVM, Bilthoven.
- WAR (2002). Afvalverwerking in Nederland 2001. Werkgroep Afvalregistratie, Utrecht.
