Evaluation of the 2021–2025 Strategy Note: results visible, target not yet achieved. The goal of the waste and raw materials strategy is to achieve a maximum of 100 kilograms of residual waste per resident by 2025. The measures are aimed at improving raw materials collection, regulating residual waste collection, and rewarding waste separation. The evaluation shows that the amount of waste per resident has decreased significantly in recent years in the Waardlanden municipalities. Between 2020 and 2024, residents disposed of an average of 179 kilograms less waste and raw materials per resident. Residual waste even decreased by more than 40% to an average of 133 kilograms per resident in 2024.
Inez van Kronenberg of Avalon Advies conducted the interim evaluation of the strategic plan: “After the strategic plan was adopted in 2021, the project organization and the municipalities enthusiastically embarked on the new policy. Waste collection has undergone a major overhaul in recent years, and residents have certainly noticed. The changes and all the hard work of residents have resulted in significant environmental gains. By 2024, significantly less residual waste was generated, and significantly more waste could be recycled into new products and materials. This deserves a compliment!”
Less residual waste, more reuse
In 2021, the four municipal councils established joint ambitions. A key reason for drafting the strategy document was the annual increase in the costs of incinerating residual waste. This trend is expected to continue. Starting in 2026, the national government will provide waste incineration plants with an additional incentive to gradually reduce CO2 emissions. This is partly to implement the principle that the polluter pays. Waardlanden's strategy aims to protect residents from rising residual waste processing costs by significantly reducing the annual amount of residual waste per resident. Therefore, we are focusing on less residual waste, better waste separation, and increased reuse. This is in line with the national VANG (From Waste to Raw Materials) goals, which apply to all municipalities.
Measures are showing effect
As part of the new policy, various measures have been taken, such as closing underground containers and introducing the environmental pass. The municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, and Molenlanden also introduced a recycling fee. Residents in these municipalities pay a fee each time they dispose of their residual waste. This is not yet in effect in the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden.
By 2024, residual waste had decreased to an average of 133 kilos per resident. This represents a 40% decrease compared to the average of 223 kilos of residual waste per resident in 2020, before the implementation of the strategy document. The separation of raw materials also increased throughout the region, with an average of 9 kilos more vegetable, fruit, garden, and food waste (organic waste), 6 kilos more plastic packaging, metal packaging, and beverage cartons (PMD), and 1,5 kilos more textiles per resident. The investments and structural costs for implementing the strategy document remained within budget through 2024.
Residual waste full of raw materials
Sorting analyses show that 75% of residual waste still consists of raw materials, such as organic waste, diapers, and metal cartons (PMD). These residual streams could be separated even more effectively. Raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce and are better reused instead of being incinerated at high costs. The quality of the separated waste has improved: PMD and organic waste contain less contamination than before. Only textiles have seen a slight increase in contamination.
To achieve the residual waste target of 100 kg per inhabitant, as outlined in the Strategy Note, additional policies are needed, in addition to implementing outstanding actions. These include further incentives for proper separation of raw materials and increased awareness of waste prevention through reuse and making different choices, such as using items for longer, sharing them, or passing them on.
Discover more in the interim evaluation of the strategic note 2021-2025.