Costs of landfill and waste incineration in the Netherlands, 1985-2002

The costs for landfill and waste incineration have increased sharply in the last fifteen years. There are two reasons for this increase. There are the stricter emission requirements for landfill and waste incineration. And there is the introduction of the landfill tax, that can be as high as 62% of total landfill expenses.

Landfill and waste incineration are becoming increasingly expensive.

• The stricter requirements for emissions to air and the soil account for most of the increase. They push up the costs for landfill and waste incineration. In order to meet the requirements for emissions to air, obsolescent waste incineration plants have been closed down and new and existing plants equipped with flue gas installations. These installations reduce emissions of dioxins and heavy metals. Stricter soil legislation led to extra costs being incurred, especially for supervised landfill sites.
• The aim of waste policy is to send as little waste as possible to landfill. The tactic adopted to achieve this is an additional tax that pushes up landfill charges. Combustible waste in particular is heavily taxed upon presentation at landfill sites: EUR 79 per 1000 kg in 2002; approximately 62% of the total landfill expenses. For non-combustible waste, the tax is EUR 13 per 1000 kg waste. The landfill costs in the table include this additional tax. The high landfill costs are intended to ensure that as much waste as possible is recovered and that combustible waste is indeed incinerated.

Relation to overall environmental costs