Environmental pass

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.

You pay to your municipality waste charges for the collection and processing of waste and raw materials. If you don't have a residual waste container at your home, you can use the residual waste container in your neighborhood. Unfortunately, many others also dispose of waste in the containers. This includes businesses and residents of neighboring municipalities that don't pay waste collection fees to your municipality. As a result, your municipality had significantly more residual waste per resident than comparable municipalities. To combat this, your municipality has closed the residual waste containers. You can now only open the residual waste container with your environmental pass.

The environmental pass is part of the waste and raw materials policy From the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden, and Vijfheerenlanden. This plan outlines how we will reduce residual waste. We aim to reduce it from 232 kilograms in 2020 to 100 kilograms per person per year in 2025. To achieve this goal, more waste must be separated.

If we don't take action to reduce residual waste, costs will rise in the coming years. This is because, for example, the rates for processing residual waste and the central government's taxes will continue to rise. With the new policy, we aim to keep the costs per resident manageable. Therefore, reducing residual waste is important for both the environment and your wallet.

The national goal is to eliminate residual waste by 2050. All waste must be reprocessable into raw materials by then, and preferably sooner. If we prevent residual waste and reuse more, we'll need to extract fewer new materials from the earth. After all, everything we burn is gone forever and can no longer be reused.

When the municipality of Gorinchem tried to implement the pass system in the town center years ago, it was still in its infancy. The technology was inadequate at the time, leading to numerous technical glitches. As a result, residents were often unable to dispose of their garbage bags. The technology has been continuously improved over the years. Many other municipalities in the Netherlands already use a pass system. This contributes to reducing the amount of residual waste. And that is precisely what the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden, and Vijfheerenlanden aim to achieve. Their goal is to increase the annual waste per person from 232 kilograms in 2020 to 100 kilograms by 2025.

If we don't take action to reduce residual waste, costs will rise in the coming years. This is because, for example, the rates for processing residual waste and the central government's taxes continue to rise. With our waste and raw materials policy, we aim to keep costs per resident manageable. Reducing residual waste is therefore important for both the environment and your wallet.

The national goal is to eliminate residual waste by 2050. All waste must be reprocessable into raw materials by then, and preferably sooner. If we prevent residual waste and reuse more, we'll need to extract fewer new materials from the earth. After all, everything we burn is gone forever and can no longer be reused.

Yes, since January 1, 2024, the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, and Molenlanden have been calculating waste disposal charges using a new method. You can influence part of the waste disposal charge. Part is fixed, and part fluctuates. This variable portion is called the recycling rate. If you separate raw materials properly and have little residual waste, your costs will be lower than if you have a lot of residual waste. Your municipality takes into account people with a lot of medical waste, litter pickers, and people with insufficient income.

The recycling rate does not apply to residents of Vijfheerenlanden. This municipality will decide on the implementation of the recycling rate later.

Find here. the answer to more frequently asked questions about the waste disposal tax and the recycling rate. 

The environmental pass has a chip with a unique number linked to your home address. The pass doesn't contain any personal information. The pass belongs to your home. Therefore, you leave the pass at home when you move.

To register the use of collection containers, we use address-based environmental passes. The link between address data and emptying data is considered personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We may only collect this data under specific conditions, as stipulated by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) in the Arnhem waste pass case. These or similar purposes must be documented and communicated, and several principles and assumptions must be met. For example, personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

The passes do not contain any personal information. With the environmental pass, an address that pays waste disposal tax has access to a collection container and the recycling centers.

If you live in a rural area, you have a residual waste container with a chip at your home. Your environmental pass does not give you access to the residual waste collection containers in neighborhoods and towns. However, it does give you access to all our recycling centers.

You can use your environmental pass to open all residual waste containers in your municipality. Since January 1, 2024, the recycling rate applies every time you dispose of a garbage bag in the residual waste container.

If you live in a rural area, you have a residual waste container with a chip at your home. Your environmental pass does not grant you access to the residual waste collection containers in neighborhoods and towns.

The recycling rate does not apply to residents of Vijfheerenlanden. This municipality will decide on the implementation of the recycling rate later.

Thanks to a built-in detector in the collection containers, we can remotely monitor their fullness. This allows us to further improve planning and empty the containers on time. If you arrive at a full container before us, or if there's a malfunction, try another residual waste container near you. There's always one within walking distance. Placing waste next to the collection container is not permitted.

We will apply urgent administrative enforcement and charge the costs of cleaning up the waste and thus eliminating the unsafe and unhealthy situation. The advantage of this is that the environment remains clean, because any contamination is cleaned up immediately. The cost of this has been set at €206,50 per violation. 

Your environmental pass or the pass reader may not work. Try your pass at a different residual waste container first. There's always another one within walking distance of your location. If your pass doesn't work there either, try a message on our website or in the Waardlanden app.

Don't leave the bag at the collection container; take it back home with you. Placing waste next to the collection container is prohibited. The cost for this violation is €206,50. We charge this fee to clean up the waste and eliminate the unsafe and unhealthy situation. The advantage of this is that the surrounding area remains clean, as any contamination is removed immediately.

Yes. You'll receive one environmental pass for your home address. Place the pass in a convenient location so everyone at your address can use it. Please handle the pass with care and don't allow others to misuse it. Don't lend your house key or debit card to anyone.

Do not make a hole in the environmental pass, otherwise it will no longer work.

If you've lost your environmental pass, you can request a new one for €15,00. It's important to report the loss as soon as possible. We'll then block your old pass. You'll receive your new pass within 5 business days of your request. contact Please contact our customer contact center. We're happy to help.

Please note: the environmental pass belongs to the property. So, please leave it behind when you move.

If you've lost your environmental pass, you can request a new one for €15,00. It's important to report the loss quickly so we can block your old pass immediately. You'll receive your new pass within 5 business days. contact Please contact our customer contact center for assistance.

Please note: the environmental pass belongs to the property. So, please leave it behind when you move.

If your environmental pass is broken, you can request a new one for €15,00. We will then block your old, broken pass, and you will receive a new one within 5 business days. contact Please contact our customer contact center. We're happy to help.

Please note: the environmental pass belongs to the property. So, please leave it behind when you move.

Replacing an environmental pass costs money: it covers the creation, processing, shipping, and handling by our staff. Therefore, you pay a €15,00 fee in case of loss or damage. This keeps the system fair and costs manageable for all residents. Only those who need a new pass pay for it. At the same time, this measure encourages residents to handle their pass with care. The pass is important: it's required to open the residual waste and organic waste containers and for access to the recycling centers. The pass is linked to your home address and is only intended for your household. Therefore, keep it safe, just like other important passes.

Are you moving to an address where there is no pass? Then you will receive a new pass free of charge. contact Please contact our customer contact center. We're happy to help.

 

 

 

The environmental pass belongs to the property. So, you leave it behind when you move.
If there is no pass in the home where you are the new resident, please report this immediately. We will then block the old pass linked to your address and you will receive a new environmental pass free of charge. contact Please contact our customer contact center. We're happy to help.

The environmental passes comply with the national standard for waste passes and registration systems, STOSAG. Unfortunately, misuse remains possible. Therefore, it's important to ensure your environmental pass doesn't fall into the wrong hands. You wouldn't simply lend your house key or debit card either. So handle your environmental pass with care and don't give others the opportunity to misuse it. Anyone who misuses an environmental pass is liable to prosecution.

Have you lost your card? Please report it and request a new one. We will then immediately block your old card. contact Please contact our customer contact center. We're happy to help.

We also check the pass numbers for any unusual information. If a pass is suddenly used much more than average, we can investigate that.