Many residents have questions about waste and raw materials policies, waste separation, and waste disposal fees. This is understandable. Therefore, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about containers here.
Do you have another question? Ask us your questionWe'll do our best to answer your question as best we can. And by doing so, you'll help us add to this list of frequently asked questions.
Many residents have questions about waste and raw materials policies, waste separation, and waste disposal charges. This is understandable. Therefore, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about the environmental pass here.
Do you have another question? Ask us your questionWe'll do our best to answer your question as best we can. And by doing so, you'll help us add to this list of frequently asked questions.
Many residents have questions about waste and raw materials policy, waste separation, and waste disposal tax. This is understandable. Therefore, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about bulky household waste here.
Do you have another question? Ask us your questionWe'll do our best to answer your question as best we can. And by doing so, you'll help us add to this list of frequently asked questions.
Many residents have questions about waste and raw materials policy, waste separation, and waste disposal tax. This is understandable. Therefore, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about monitoring and enforcement here.
Do you have another question? Ask us your questionWe'll do our best to answer your question as best we can. And by doing so, you'll help us add to this list of frequently asked questions.
Many residents have questions about waste and raw materials policy, waste separation, and waste disposal tax. This is understandable. Therefore, here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about:
- Waste and raw materials policy
- Waste disposal tax and recycling rate
- Separating waste
- Baby diapers and medical waste
- Containers
- Environmental pass
- Bulky household waste
- Surveillance and enforcement
- Litter pass
Do you have another question? Ask us your questionWe'll do our best to answer your question as best we can. And by doing so, you'll help us add to this list of frequently asked questions.
Many residents have questions about waste and raw materials policy, waste separation, and waste disposal tax. This is understandable. Therefore, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about bulky household waste here.
Do you have another question? Ask us your questionWe'll do our best to answer your question as best we can. And by doing so, you'll help us add to this list of frequently asked questions.
Awareness and behavioral change are key to reducing residual waste. Our colleagues are in your area every day and are happy to help you with questions and advice.
Our Education Team
Environmental coach Nelleke
Our Environmental Coach Nelleke is out and about every day. You can find her everywhere: on the street, at meetings, and at events. She gathers ideas, offers tips on reducing residual waste and separating raw materials more effectively, and brainstorms with you. Environmental Coach Nelleke: "Separating waste is beneficial! All sorts of new products are made from separated waste. Reuse and recycling conserve resources, save energy, and reduce CO2 emissions."
So, if you're unsure about something or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask your question online or when you see Nelleke!
Ask your question to our environmental coach Nelleke
Education Officer: Awareness and Behavioral Change in Young People
What you learn as a youngster, you'll be able to do when you're older! Our education officer teaches classes at the Waste-Free schools in the region about raw material separation. We also talk with principals about reducing residual waste. Raising awareness among young people is an important step towards
A waste-free future. Secondary schools can also receive tips, advice, and possibly guest lectures and tours from our education officer.
Educational programs and initiatives
Waste-free schools
Since 2014, we've offered the "Waste-Free Schools" program. This program teaches students that waste is made up of valuable resources and equips them with the knowledge to manage it effectively.
More and more schools want to make students aware that waste contains valuable resources, such as paper, plastic, food scraps, and more. Sustainability is therefore increasingly high on the agenda. This is a welcome development, especially since residual waste will be eliminated in the Netherlands by 2050 and resources will be reused over and over again. Fortunately, more and more students are bringing a sustainable drinking cup and lunchbox for lunch. This saves mountains of disposable cartons, sandwich bags, and aluminum foil. Separate waste collection at school seems obvious, but it proves difficult in practice. The "Waste-Free Schools" project can help with this.
But what exactly is a zero-waste school? A zero-waste school is a school that strives for less waste. The waste that is ultimately generated is properly separated. This means the school has less and less residual waste. In short, waste separation and waste prevention. In exchange for the effort schools make, they don't have to pay for the separated waste collected by Waardlanden.
About 80% of all regional households in our region are now waste-free. When parents and caregivers see how enthusiastic their children are about separating waste and the importance of recycling, they're encouraged to take steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle at home as well. This way, the school initiative becomes not only a learning opportunity for children but also an opportunity to reach entire families and work together towards a circular future.
Interested in becoming a Waste-Free School? Contact us!
Practical support
Waardlanden offers educational and practical support to all Waste-Free Schools. We do this by providing information, making materials available, organizing excursions, offering assistance with curriculum, and monitoring waste separation.
Environmental education in schools
Together with Gorinchem Nature Center (NCG) We provide environmental education at schools in the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, and Molenlanden. In Vijfheerenlanden, we do this in collaboration with The Green Wealth.
Teaching boxes
To make things as easy as possible for primary schools, the Gorinchem Nature Center and De Groene Weelde have developed ready-made lesson kits for classroom use. Waste-free schools can book these for free. Each kit contains detailed lessons and materials related to a theme. This makes teaching your own lesson very easy.
- Questions about the teaching kits from the Gorinchem Nature Center?
Send an e-mail to educatie@natuurcentrumgorinchem.nl or call 0183-630911 on weekdays between 9.00am and 17.00pm. - Questions about the De Groene Weelde teaching kits?
Send an e-mail to info@groeneweeldevhl.nl
Guest lectures and excursions
Teaching about the circular economy is one thing, but seeing and experiencing it is another! We can also teach some lessons at school or in the neighborhood.
Guest lecture 'Waste separation'
During this lesson, we'll discuss the different raw material flows with the students. We'll cover topics like buying less, recycling, repairs, the recycling center, the dangers of litter, and why waste separation is so important. What belongs in which bin, and what can we make with properly separated raw materials? We'll conclude the lesson with a fun quiz and distribute current waste separation guidelines. After the lesson, students will know everything about reducing waste and separating it properly, and they'll be able to separate school waste correctly. Because much has changed in the world of waste, the lessons are not only interesting for students, but teachers also learn a lot from them.
Practical information:
- The lesson lasts 25 minutes per class.
- It's possible for groups 1 through 8 to all be scheduled on the same day. The education officer will then visit each class in turn.
Excursion: Ecopark educational trail
During this lesson, we give the group a tour of the Ecopark in Groot-Ammers. The students will visit the De Gezel workshop and the second chance building materials. This will be followed by an interactive lesson in the Ecopark's education area, where small groups will complete assignments about waste and valuable resources. Topics covered include textiles, smartphones, electronic devices, batteries, and litter. Activities like "electronic device bingo" and "litter on the clothesline" make the lessons interactive. Students will playfully discover how long nature takes to break down different types of waste. Finally, the group will reflect on themes such as sustainability and reducing consumption. Our partner, De Gezel, has made the furniture for the education area from discarded materials, such as bar stools made from old bicycle tires and tables made from reclaimed wood. The tour and lesson last 1,5 to 2 hours and are free for Waste-Free Schools.
Practical information:
- The tour and lesson last 1,5 to 2 hours and are free for Waste Free Schools.
- The tour is suitable for both primary and secondary schools.
Technology lessons
To introduce primary school students to technology, crafts, and professions in the circular economy, we offer on-site lessons in collaboration with De Gezel and SitY Academy. These lessons prepare students for the circular economy of the future, where repair is central.
Want to know more about our guest lectures and excursions? Contact us!
Schools take action against litter
Cleanups are fun to do. You're doing something fun and keeping our environment clean and beautiful at the same time. We're happy to help schools that want to organize cleanups with the necessary supplies and tips. We provide:
- Safety vests
- waste bags
- skewers
- Gloves
Afterwards, we will come by with one of our collection vehicles and take away the bags of litter.
Picking up litter at school? Contact us!
Waardlanden provides waste and raw material collection for the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden, and Vijfheerenlanden.
As a resident you can offer your waste and raw materials in a container at home or in a collection container in the neighborhood, at one of the recycling centers of have it picked upYou may still be able to have broken, discarded and reusable products repaired at a repair café or bring to the Recycling Center or a thrift storeThey then get a second life and don't become waste. This way, we work together to reuse as much waste and raw materials as possible. That's good for the environment and your wallet.
Providing waste and raw materials
Containers for household waste and raw materials
We collect your vegetable, fruit, and garden waste, food scraps (organic waste), plastic packaging, metal packaging (tins) and beverage cartons (PMD), glass, paper, textiles, and residual waste using containers. How you dispose of your waste and raw materials depends on where you live.
> Discover how you can offer your waste and raw materials
Recycling centers for other waste and raw materials
You can offer all other waste streams at one of the recycling centers.
Have waste and raw materials collected
You can have your bulky household waste, metal, discarded electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) and bulky garden and pruning waste collected.
Ever wonder which bin a product or material belongs in? The separation guide on this page will help!
Since the introduction of the environmental pass, residents of apartments, upstairs apartments, and homes without three types of raw material containers are allowed to dispose of plastic packaging, metal packaging, and beverage cartons (PMD) in a local residual waste container. This waste is collected separately and later sorted by machines. This allows us to recycle more and reduce the amount of residual waste that needs to be incinerated. Residents of low-rise buildings with a PMD container do separate their PMD at home.
Always have the separation guide at hand
With the handy Waardlanden app, you always have your waste separation guide at your fingertips. You can download the Waardlanden app to your smartphone. This way, you always have all the information about waste and raw materials at your fingertips. You'll also find your personal waste calendar in the app. And you can quickly and easily submit reports, schedule a bulky waste appointment, and order bags. Download the app here!
Would you prefer a paper separation guide?
You can view, download, and print the waste separation guide. You can hang it in a convenient place at home. This way, you can quickly see what goes where.
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Dutch
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Arabic
- Download the handy waste separation guide in English
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Ukrainian
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Polish
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Romanian
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Spanish
- Download the handy waste separation guide in Turkish
Separating waste is commonplace for most households these days. But why do we separate our waste, and what's the best way to separate raw materials?
Why is waste separation important?
By properly separating your waste, you'll have less residual waste. This reduces the amount of waste and is better for the environment. Valuable raw materials like PMD, paper, organic waste, and textiles are preserved and given a new life in new products. This means we need to extract fewer raw materials from the earth and waste less.
Furthermore, proper separation saves money. Disposing of residual waste costs money, while you can dispose of most raw materials for free. Separated waste is also cheaper to process than residual waste. Proper separation therefore helps the environment and keeps the costs of waste collection and processing manageable.
Does separated waste really remain separated?
Yes. Everything you separate will stay separated. Our vehicles collect one type of material per trip. At the recycling center, the different streams are collected and processed separately. For example, old glass becomes new glass, old paper becomes new paper, and organic waste becomes compost or biogas.
You sometimes hear that "everything just ends up in one pile." That's not true. Only when a raw material contains a lot of residual waste can it be recycled effectively. Then, unfortunately, it still has to be incinerated, and valuable raw materials are lost. That's why proper separation is so important.
Important for the environment and your wallet
Proper waste separation results in lower costs than if you have a lot of residual waste. The less often you dispose of residual waste, the lower the variable portion of the annual waste disposal tax becomes. At least, if you live in Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, or Molenlanden. Residents of Vijfheerenlanden do not yet have any control over some of the waste charges.
