Raw materials policy plan
The municipality of Tytsjerksteradiel is working on better separation and collection of household waste. For this purpose, the executive board and subsequently the municipal council adopted a raw materials policy plan on September 19, 2019.
In this plan, the municipality indicates how it intends to manage the collection, pick-up, and processing of household waste in the future. Alderman Andries Bouwman: “We want to encourage our residents and offer the service to be able to separate household waste even better. This way, valuable raw materials such as bio-waste, paper and cardboard, textiles, and glass are preserved for reuse, and the amount of residual waste is reduced.”
From 136 to 30 kg of residual waste
The executive board aligns with the council's desire to follow the national 'Waste to Resource' (VANG) environmental objectives. The raw materials policy plan aims to reduce the amount of household residual waste (fine, coarse, construction and demolition) from the current 136 kg to 30 kg per resident per year by 2025 and to separate 90% of the waste. Recent separation tests show that a lot of fruit and vegetable waste, old paper, textiles, glass, small chemical waste and electrical appliances still end up in the 'sortibak' (grey container) incorrectly. These raw materials cannot be separated afterwards for reuse because this is technically not possible or because, for example, paper and textiles become contaminated. Raw materials that disappear into the 'sortibak' then disappear with the residual waste and are incinerated.
Encouraging residents to sort waste better
The starting point for the new waste collection is to encourage residents as much as possible and offer services to separate household waste. The first step to enable optimal waste separation is to ensure that the basic infrastructure and services are in order to enable optimal waste separation. In addition, it is of great importance to increase our residents' knowledge and awareness about waste prevention and waste separation.
These measures include:
- Extending the opening hours of the recycling center and composting site.
- Expanding the number of glass and textile containers throughout the municipality.
- Municipality-wide collection of waste paper
- A 0% tariff for residents who offer their waste separately at the recycling center;
- Providing customized solutions for households who can demonstrate a valid reason why they are structurally unable to manage with the new waste collection method;
- Provide households that use disposable diapers, incontinence products, and/or ostomy bags with the option to dispose of this specific waste stream separately at the recycling center.
The municipality has gradually introduced a new method of waste collection. With Frequency Controlled Separation, we have started working on the From Waste to Resource (VANG) objectives. 'Frequency Controlled Separation' is based on stimulating better separation by adjusting the waste calendar with a volume incentive. We collect residual waste less often and the container with bio-waste is emptied more often.
In 2019, we started an awareness campaign and put the facilities in order. At the same time, in 2019 and 2020, we prepared the new method of collection Frequency-driven separation and started it in 2021.
Costs
The implementation of this raw materials policy plan implies an increase in the waste collection levy because various measures must be taken to improve waste separation. If the municipality does nothing to improve waste separation, this will also lead to a significant increase in the waste collection levy. This is due to national taxes on household residual waste and the costs of waste management. In addition, the raw materials that currently end up in the sorting container, such as organic waste, waste paper, glass, textiles, and small chemical waste, are not being properly recycled.