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

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29/09/09
1998, OVAM, 1996, result on an inquiry on municipal taxes and retribution
systems for the collection and treatment of municipal waste. (Dutch)
� Inventarisatie huisvuilbelasting- en retributiesystemen in Vlaanderen en de
impact op de huisvuilproductie - Enquêteresultaten 2000, OVAM, 2000,
update on municipal taxes and retribution systems for the collection and
treatment of municipal waste, and its impact on the amount of waste
collected. (Dutch)
10.6 Environmental Benefits
In 1991, the national situation was that Flanders produced on average 406kg waste
per habitant per year. 20 per cent of this waste (82kg) was recycled or composted. By
2004, waste generation per inhabitant had risen to 560kg a year (this figure stopped
rising in 2002) and 71 per cent of this waste (401kg) was recycled or composted.
Residual waste largely goes to incineration with energy recovery.
It is difficult to examine a cause and effect relationship between PBU instruments and
the decrease of the generation of waste or the increase of the percentage recycled of
composted waste. Household waste policy has always been implemented using a
mixture of policy instruments among which PAYT is only one. The evolution of the
statistics is influenced also by market shifts (such as the wider availability of separate
collection infrastructure, the market value of recyclable waste). Even climatic
conditions can influence the figures (warm and moist summers generate more garden
waste). Changes in the way waste data are registered can play a role as well. As a
consequence of the above mentioned covenants between the local and the regional
governments, company waste that is comparable with household waste is
progressively taken out of the statistics.
In any case a correlation can be seen between the progressive introduction of PBU
principles and increases in recycling rates. It is reasonable to presume that PBU was
an important factor in supporting this evolution.
10.7 Implementation Costs
The costs of implementing DIFTAR systems is fairly well established in Flanders. It
does, however, depend on the specifics of the scheme. Different schemes use
expensive sacks, frequency based charging, or weight-based systems. The last of
these requires greatest up-front investment in vehicles, whilst both frequency and
weight-based schemes may require adjustments to the approach to billing.
OVAM reports a minimal cost of €50/family for the implementation of a DIFTAR
system (containers, hardware and software, adjustment of waste collection trucks,
etc.). The cost of implementing DIFTAR in a civic amenity site (CAS) averages €80,000
(weighbridge, badges, hardware and software, barrier, etc.). 204
204 OVAM (2008) Uitvoeringsplan milieuverantwoord beheer van huishoudelijke afvalstoffen,
Mechelen: OVAM.