International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

From 2001 to 2006 the total amount of all waste fractions shows zero growth.
Although this data does not directly prove the waste prevention effect, the further
reduction of the residual waste (from 95 to 82 kg per capita 196) could be an effect of
waste prevention. Furthermore, set against the context of (a) historical arisings
growth, (b) continued economic growth through the period 2001 to 2006, and (c) a
general trend towards lower numbers or residents per property in Germany (which is
known to increase average waste arisings per capita), a zero growth rate in fact
suggests that residents are adapting to the economic incentive to minimise waste.
With just 82 kg residual waste per capita in 2006 the Darmstadt-Dieburg county was
among the communities with the lowest figures in Germany. The increase in material
separated for recycling and composting is also impressive. Although this does not
prove a waste prevention effect, it suggests that a PAYT-system combined with
convenient separation, collection and recycling services delivers remarkable effects
to reduce the amount of residual waste. The incentive for citizens to prevent and
recycle waste is delivered through the financial stimulus. 197
The overall reduction of residual waste per capita from 230 kg/capita in 1990 to 127
kg/capita in 1995 (last year without the PAYT system in all of the communities in the
county) and further to 82 kg/capita in 2006 can be considered to have delivered
significant environmental benefits. Residual waste in the region goes to the local
incinerator. The environmental benefits of recycling over incineration are well
established, as such the specific emissions per capita caused by the incineration of
municipal waste have been reduced significantly. Furthermore the increases in
recycled or composted fractions (glass, metals, kitchen and garden waste etc.) help
conserve primary resources and to reduce linked environmental effects associated
with material extraction and processing (compared with recycling pathways).
The Schweinfurt scheme is worthy of detailed analysis as it takes an already well
performing system and interlaces volume, frequency and weight based charges to
achieve further environmental improvement (as associated with waste prevention
and increased recycling). In understanding the effects of the scheme, one must
understand the linkages between what has happened to collections at the doorstep,
and what has happened at other collection routes.
Figure 9-2 shows the effect of the schemes on the quantities of material collected at
the doorstep. The effect is clearly dramatic, with collections falling by more than 40%
of the original quantity. Figure 9-3 clearly shows that this is an exceptional result,
even when compared with well-functioning schemes elsewhere in Germany.
196 In 1995, the last year without the PAYT system in all of the communities of the county the amount
of residual waste was 127 kg/capita.
197 A private interview with one citizen of the Darmstadt-Dieburg county demonstrates that use of the
offered separation, collection and recycling systems, allows a household with four persons to choose
the smallest bin (50l) with just five additional pick-ups in addition to the twelve free pick-ups. This was
suggested to have created savings €56, or a 29% reduction of the annual bill compared to the
previous year.
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