Less recycling – more waste to landfill

Waste amounts are steadily increasing, according to Waste accounts. The increase from 2015 to 2016 was three per cent. At the same time, the value added measured by GDP (constant prices) has increased by only one per cent from 2015 to 2016. The national goal to keep the increase in waste below the level of economic growth has not been achieved in recent years.

The recovered fraction continues to decrease

In 2016, the recovery of non-hazardous waste undergoing known treatment was 74 per cent; a decrease of three per cent from 2015. This corresponds to 7.3 million tonnes. In 2016, 27 per cent of non-hazardous waste undergoing known treatment was energy recovered, while 38 per cent was subject to material recovery. The main reason for the decrease in recovery is less waste used as filling compounds and cover materials in 2016 compared to the years before.

The waste amounts undergoing material recovery and incineration are similar to what they have been in recent years. A total of 4.0 million tonnes of waste material was recovered in 2016, while 3.8 million tonnes was incinerated. While asphalt, followed by metals and paper and cardboard constitute the largest fractions for material recovery, mixed waste followed by wood waste still constitute the largest fractions for incineration.

The amount of waste sent for recovery has fallen, while the amount of waste going to landfill increased by two per cent from 2015 to 2016. In 2016, around 14 per cent of non-hazardous waste undergoing known treatment was deposited. This corresponds to 1.4 million tonnes. The largest ordinary waste type being deposited is concrete and tiles followed by cinders, dust, bottom ash and fly ash. A large fraction of the waste being deposited is also hazardous waste.

Most mixed waste

The major waste material categories in 2016 were mixed waste, which accounted for 26 per cent of the total, followed by other materials (mainly asphalt) and hazardous waste, both with 13 per cent. These same three categories of waste have topped the list since 2012. Wood waste was previously one of the three largest waste fractions, but due to a redefinition of large amounts of production waste as by-products, the proportion of wood waste decreased and was just 7 per cent of the total waste in 2016.

Waste from construction and demolition dominates

In 2016, the construction and demolition industry (25 per cent), followed by households (21 per cent) and the service industry (20 per cent) produced the largest amounts of waste. While neither households nor the service sector have hardly increased or have only increased slightly in recent years, the waste from construction and demolition has increased by 16 per cent since 2012.

Masses for landfilling and cover materials

The amounts of slightly polluted soil that were deposited also increased considerably from 2015 to 2016. In 2016, 2.2 million tonnes was sent to ordinary landfills and 21 000 tonnes was used as cover material. This is an increase of almost 400 000 tonnes compared to 2015 and is also much higher than the years before 2015.