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

http://www.bafu.admin.ch/abfall/01472/index.html?lang=en [Accessed 10 th
September 2008].
Shaumburg, G. W. and Doyle, K. T. (1994) Wasting Resources to Reduce Waste:
Recycling in New Jersey, Cato Policy Analysis, 202.
Waste Centre Denmark, [Online], Waste from Industry and Commerce. Available at
http://www.wasteinfo.dk/waste+and+collection+companies/sources+types+and+fra
ctions/waste+from+industry+and+commerce [Accessed 29 th September 2008].
35.5 Environmental Benefits
The main environmental benefits from the mandatory requirement for separate
collection and subsequent recycling/reuse of waste materials are likely to be:
568
� Increased diversion of waste away from landfill or other residual waste
treatments that might otherwise be required; and
� The potential to re-process and consequently recycle the source-separated
materials, saving on raw materials (and hence energy) in commercial and
industrial processes.
In most countries, it is difficult to attribute a specific increase in recycling and
composting / digestion to this policy alone. This is because in most countries a policy
of mandatory recycling of specific materials exists alongside other policies, including,
for example, producer responsibility schemes, implying provision of varying degrees of
service on the part of producers. Having said that, it seems reasonable to believe that
such a policy does in fact play a role in increasing materials recycling. For example,
approximately one third of the total biowaste collected in Switzerland is from private
industry (notably horticulture and landscaping). 689 Similarly, the total municipal
(including businesses and institutions) recycling rate in New Jersey in 2006 was
reported as 54.8 %, reaching the target set by the state for its municipal solid waste
stream. 690
Not much information appears to exist on the specific contribution of C&I to overall
recycling rates in the countries listed. In Denmark, for example, only certain industries
must keep a register or their waste generation. Thus it is difficult to obtain a complete
picture of increases in recycling rates due to mandatory separation requirements.
However, from the Waste Statistics available in Denmark, approximately 65 % of
689 Federal Office for the Environment, 2008, Guide to Waste [Online] (Updated 28 th February 2008).
Available at: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/abfall/01472/index.html?lang=en [Accessed 10 th September
2008].
690 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2006) New Jersey Generation, Disposal and
Recycling Statistics, available online at
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/recycling/stat_links/06%20Disposal_%20Rates_%20County.pdf.
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