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 waste separation 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.
Yes, absolutely! Our waste contains important raw materials. All raw materials we collect separately are processed separately for recycling. This applies to organic waste, paper, glass, textiles, plastic packaging, metal packaging and beverage cartons, batteries, and various bulky household waste streams that you take to the recycling center.
Recycling is good for the environment and your wallet. The municipality receives compensation for the recyclable flows from waste processors. The municipality processes all income and expenses in the waste taxBy separating reusable materials better, this can be kept as low as possible.
No! Only the waste from the residual waste container is incinerated in waste incineration plants. Other raw materials, such as organic waste, paper, glass, textiles, plastic packaging, metal packaging and beverage cartons, batteries, and various bulky household waste streams that you bring to the recycling center, are processed and recycled.
Occasionally, the collected raw materials contain too much contamination. In that case, the processor or recycler will not accept the shipment. In that case, the raw materials unfortunately have to be incinerated.
Italy lacks sufficient capacity to process residual waste. In 2022, a major fire destroyed Rome's largest waste processing facility. The new facility isn't expected to be completed until 2026 at the earliest. Until then, the residual waste has to go somewhere. The Netherlands has a large capacity for waste incineration. This is because 60 percent of waste is already collected separately and recycled. Consequently, there is less residual waste that still needs to be incinerated.
If Italy can't incinerate its residual waste, it must be landfilled. This is the most harmful to the environment. Landfills produce methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than CO2.
Properly separating waste and raw materials and recycling them is therefore crucial. If we prevent residual waste and reuse and recycle more, we need to extract fewer materials from the earth. After all, everything we burn is gone forever and can no longer be reused. If any residual waste remains after proper separation, it must be incinerated. These costs will increase in the coming years, for example, because the rates for processing residual waste and the central government's taxes continue to rise. Reducing residual waste is therefore important for both the environment and your wallet.
Residents can help reduce waste by paying attention to how products are packaged (or not) in the store, and by trying to prevent waste and separate raw materials even more effectively at home. This can be done by using the tips and advice we share through the campaign page "Nice and Tidy" on our website. It is also important that waste is placed in the correct collection containers and not placed next to the containers.
By separating plastic packaging, metal packaging, and beverage cartons (PMD), you help recycle raw materials. PMD collected in our municipalities is sent to HVC. There, it is sorted and processed into granulate, which serves as the basis for new plastic. HVC has its own plastic sorting facility, Sortiva, which processes special household plastics.
Starting in 2027, it will be mandatory to use more recycled plastic. We are confident that HVC will find sufficient markets for the granulate and will continue to monitor this closely. We will continue to encourage residents to separate waste properly and critically examine the processing of these raw materials.
Want to know more? Then visit the HVC website. They explain how they process plastic: HVC Frequently Asked Questions
The "Lekker Opgeruimd" (Clean and Tidy) campaign focuses on reducing waste and improving waste and raw material separation at home, ultimately reducing residual waste. You can find the special campaign on our website. Nice and tidy campaign page. There they stand useful tips, blogs and videos about how to properly separate your waste. There is a fun quiz to determine which type of waste separator someone is. You can also receive personalized tips. This campaign regularly features in local newspapers and on social media. Our environmental coaches also actively engage with residents to answer questions about waste separation and explain the decisions made.
The residual waste containers have waste stickers. By scanning the QR code on the sticker, you can access detailed information, such as what to do in case of a full container or malfunction, a broken recycling pass, bulk waste regulations, and more. Together, we can keep our neighborhood tidy, clean, and safe, without waste. We use simple language and visual aids, and our website is available in multiple languages, including English, Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, and Turkish.
By source separation, we mean that you, as a resident, separate your waste at home. This way, many more types of waste are separated than with a machine. The waste you separate at home is highly recyclable.
With post-separation, a machine in a factory separates residual waste. This preserves valuable materials that would otherwise have to be incinerated. The machine cannot separate nearly all types of waste. Primarily plastic packaging, cans, and beverage cartons can be separated from the residual waste during post-separation. Other valuable waste streams are lost.
Post-separation with a machine is always a supplement to source separation. In low-rise buildings, source separation yields the highest-quality raw materials. It's also the most cost-effective way to separate waste. In flats, apartments, and upstairs apartments, it's less convenient to separate waste at home. In these cases, post-separation with a machine is a better option, allowing valuable raw materials like plastic packaging, cans, and beverage cartons to be recycled.
Separating waste at home using raw material containers is very successful in low-rise buildings in our region. It produces the highest quality raw materials. It's also the most cost-effective way to separate waste.
In high-rise and low-rise buildings without space for containers, PMD collection in collection containers was significantly lower. This is also a national trend.
Because we separate PMD from residual waste in high-rise and low-rise buildings without space for raw material containers, we need to incinerate less residual waste at a high cost and can therefore recycle more. Therefore, post-separation of PMD is the best option for high-rise and low-rise buildings without space for containers.
A machine can extract raw materials from residual waste afterward. But this only applies to plastic packaging, cans, and beverage cartons. Separating organic waste, paper, cardboard, packaging glass, and textiles afterward is not (yet) technically feasible.
That's partly true. Many people know exactly what belongs in PMD, but not everyone does. And separating plastic is especially difficult, because what goes where?
> Discover what does and does not belong in the PMD
Do you have any doubts or questions about waste separation? Ask your question to our environmental coachesThey will be happy to help you.
Are you unsure whether a product or material should be separated? Find out more about which waste goes where.
To prevent unpleasant odors, you can store dirty diapers in sealed bags. Special bags that absorb odors are also available in supermarkets and drugstores.
The goal of the policy is to reduce residual waste. These bags obviously don't fit in there. Therefore, consider the option of washable diapers. These have improved significantly in recent years.
You can also separate used disposable diapers in special bags for baby diapers. You can collect these at recycling centers and in a number of other placesWith the environmental pass, you can return full bags to one of our recycling centers for free.
Dog and cat poop belong in the residual waste. So, don't put it in the organic waste bin or on the compost heap at home. There's a risk of animal diseases being transmitted through the compost.
You can throw away your dog poop bags: