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

FOST-Plus reports the following collection costs for separately collected waste
streams: 205
181
� Glass: €1.51/capita;
� Paper-cardboard: €1.01/capita;
� PMD (collection and sorting): €5.61/capita; 206
� Communication: €0.36/capita;
� Other costs: €0.65/capita.
With regard to these waste streams, FOST-Plus pays the intermunicipal organisations
the full cost of collection and sorting, in the frame of a EPR mechanism for packaging
waste (see Annex 15.0).
10.8 Effects on Technical Change / Innovation
The implementation of DIFTAR systems required some technical changes to waste
collection operations. The first generation of DIFTAR systems were sack- or tag-based
(the constraint being on the volume of material generated), the charge being levied
through the sale of specific sacks, or of identifying stickers. These systems remain the
most commonly applied approach.
A desire for more sophisticated systems which better convey the incentive to reduce
the weight of waste produced has led to development of pay by weight DIFTAR
systems. In this case chipped bins are weighed when loaded onto collection trucks.
Additionally, in the more urban context, underground containers with limited capacity
loading and automated identification systems have been developed (much as with
the German sluice gate systems). 207
DIFTAR may be said to have increased the number of segregated waste streams and
amount of material recycled. It cannot, however, be seen as the only reason for the
growth and the consolidation in this sector in the last decade (see also Section 10.6).
It may also be noted that municipal waste remains under 10% of the total quantity of
waste generated in Flanders.
10.9 Social and Distributional Consequences
DIFTAR could affect social inequality where more wealthy households are able to
afford to produce more mixed waste than households on the edge of poverty even
when sorting a large amount of their waste.
205 FOST-Plus (2008) Annual Report 2007 (note FOST-Plus is the entity responsible for household
packaging waste recycling in Belgium – see Appendix 15.0).
206 Note PMD = plastic, metals and drinks containers.
207 These systems are dewscribed in the Luxembourg case in D. Hogg (ed.) (2002) Financing and
Incentive Scheme for Municipal Waste Management: Case Studies, Final Report to DG Environment
the European Commission.
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes