Composting plants for organic garden and kitchen waste in the Netherlands, 1989-2001
| Number | Licensed | Total | of which | Sold | Residue | ||
| of plants | capacity | compostable | as | composted | as | ||
| waste | residual waste | / yeasted | compost | ||||
| absolute | million kg | ||||||
| 1989 | 3 | . | 2 355 | 2 320 | 35 | . | . |
| 1990 | 4 | . | 2 470 | 2 385 | 85 | . | . |
| 1991 | 4 | . | 2 725 | 2 405 | 320 | . | 40 |
| 1992 | 7 | 620 | 2 790 | 2 170 | 620 | . | 60 |
| 1993 | 12 | 908 | 2 595 | 1 715 | 880 | 310 | 205 |
| 1994 | 24 | 1 500 | 2 640 | 1 420 | 1 220 | >310 | 140 |
| 1995 | 23 | 1 650 | 2 790 | 1 340 | 1 450 | >475 | 180 |
| 1996 | 23 | 1 460 | 2 675 | 1 215 | 1 460 | 480 | 170 |
| 1997 | 25 | 1 590 | 2 830 | 1 300 | 1 530 | 540 | 180 |
| 1998 | 24 | 1 600 | 2 870 | 1 380 | 1 490 | 470 | 105 |
| 1999 | 25 | 1 760 | 2 820 | 1 380 | 1 440 | 610 | 95 |
| 2000 | 25 | 1 790 | 2 750 | 1 280 | 1 470 | 580 | 90 |
| 2001 | 25 | 1 705 | 2 870 | 1 460 | 1 410 | 650 | 85 |
| Source: WAR; CBS; RIVM. | RIVM/EDC/Oct02/0395 | ||||||
Composting of organic garden and kitchen waste
Since the late 1980s, municipalities have been encouraged, and later obliged, to collect organic garden and kitchen waste separately. Following the introduction of the separate collection of household waste, provincial and municipal authorities established sufficient processing capacity in a number of years. Consequently, in the early 1990s, the separate collection and composting of organic garden and kitchen waste rocketed. From 1995 onwards, growth stabilised. Both developments are reflected in the organic content of non-separated household waste. During the composting process a residue is created which mainly goes to landfill sites.
The table gives figures on composting plants designed to process organic garden and kichen waste. There are also composting plants for processing other compostable waste.
Policy
The Waste Management Council (AOO) therefore drew up, in January 2002, the "Incentive programme for the segregation and prevention of household waste" (Sturingsprogramma afvalscheiding en afvalpreventie). By means of projects in the area of facilities, monitoring, benchmarking and communications, this programme provides a new impulse for, among other things, the separate collection of organic garden and kitchen waste.
References
- CBS (2002). Statline. Gemeentelijke afvalstoffen; hoeveelheden. Statistics Netherlands, Voorburg/Heerlen.
- RIVM (2002). Onderzoek naar de fysische samenstelling van het Nederlandse huishoudelijke afval, 2000 en 2001. RIVM, Bilthoven.
- WAR (2002). Afvalverwerking in Nederland. Werkgroep Afvalregistratie, Utrecht.
Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium
- Size of environmental services sector in the Netherlands, 1995-2001
- Waste generation and method of processing, 1985-2001
- Waste generation and processing by target sector in the Netherlands, 1990-2001*
- Composition of non-separated household waste in the Netherlands, 1940-2000
- Costs of landfill and waste incineration in the Netherlands, 1985-2002
Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium
- More information about waste incinerators can be obtained from the Dutch Waste Processing Association (VVAV). The VVAV represents the interests of the operators of composting plants, waste incinerators, landfills and of waste processors during the establishment of a single European waste market.
