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

53.7 Effects on Technical Change / Innovation
The quite demanding requirements of the TaSi were eased through use of a long
transition period (1993 to 1 June 2005) to give the authorities enough time to
develop new waste management concepts, and investments in new technologies and
installations.
Higher costs for dealing with waste provide the most obvious incentive for private
households and communities, respectively, to foster waste prevention and, obviously,
where increasing costs relate to disposal, to a much greater extent, waste separation
and recycling.
Knowing the TaSi deadline (1 June 2005) for many years, fundamental changes were
introduced in Germany concerning household waste management over the
intervening 10 – 15 years. In 1999 about 49 % of household waste was recycled. By
2003 the recycling rate had reached 61 %. Furthermore the rate of waste treatment
in municipal waste incinerators (a more expensive, but better way for the
environment) increased, and the rate of disposal in landfills fell. The increase in
incineration is shown in Table 53-1.
Table 53-1: Treatment of Household Waste in Municipal Waste Incinerators in
Germany 1003
797
Year
Year
Municipal Municipal waste
waste
Incinerators
Incinerators
(Number) (Number)
(Number)
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes
Input Input Capacity Capacity in in
in
Germany Germany in in in total total (in
(in
1,000 1,000 tons/y) tons/y)
tons/y)
Average Average Input Input Capacity
Capacity
per per Incinerator Incinerator (in
(in
1,000 1,000 tons/Y) tons/Y)
tons/Y)
1990 48 9,200 191
1992 50 9,500 190
1993 49 9,420 192
1995 52 10,870 202
1998 53 11,900 225
2000 61 13,999 230
2005 67 16,900 252
2007 1004 72 17,779 247
1003 Daten zur Umwelt, Der Zustand der Umwelt in Deutschland, Ausgabe 2005, Umweltbundesamt
Berlin.
1004 Estimated figure for 2007.