Office, shop and services waste in the Netherlands, 1985-2001
| 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001* | |
| million kg | |||||||
| Total | 2 730 | 2 675 | 2 905 | 3 370 | 3 400 | 3 365 | 3 560 |
| Reuse | 430 | 630 | 1 135 | 1 450 | 1 515 | 1 585 | 1 690 |
| Incineration | 450 | 500 | 575 | 775 | 630 | 710 | 745 |
| Landfill | 1 850 | 1 545 | 1 190 | 1 145 | 1 255 | 1 070 | 1 125 |
| Source: AOO, RIVM; ITM (1999, 2001, 2002); WAR (2002). | RIVM/EDC/Oct01 | ||||||
Amount of office, shop and services waste
Since 1990, the amount of office, shop and services waste has gradually increased. Although a lot of reusable office, shop and services waste is still incinerated or sent to landfill, the proportion of re-use has increased sharply since 1990. Increasingly, re-use is taking place after the separation of office, shop and services waste that is collected in non-separated form.
Policy
Since 1995, the increase in office, shop and services waste has more or less followed GDP. As a result, office, shop and services waste is a priority for the prevention policy as set out in the Landelijk Afvalstoffenplan (National Waste Management Plan). For this purpose and in order to encourage separate waste collection, a programme 'Met preventie naar duurzaam ondernemen' ('Sustainable enterprise through prevention') was established in which the government authorities in this area collaborate. The National Waste Management Plan also places considerable emphasis on the recovery of waste as fuel (after the separation of waste in the post-collection phase). The non-separated office, shop and service waste is pre-eminently suitable for this policy.



