Last year, the municipal councils of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden and Vijfheerenlanden adopted the new waste and raw materials policy "Together for a waste-free and clean municipality, 2021 - 2025". This plan sets out how the municipalities will reduce the amount of waste from 232 kilograms in 2020 to 100 kilograms per person per year in 2025. We then started to prepare and work on introducing all the changes of this new policy at once from 1 January 2023.
In July, the board asked Waardlanden to assess the impact of supply problems and labour shortages on the planning. The new schedule was adopted on 11 October. The main adjustment is that together with the municipalities, we will phase in the changes by 2023. This will allow residents to get used to it step by step.
Hans van den Brule, director of Waardlanden: 'On 1 January 2022, we were still on schedule with the planning. Due to all kinds of delivery problems of, for example, the collection containers for residual waste and VGF waste, we lost the necessary time. It also proved extremely difficult to find staff, making the staff shortage increasingly acute. In early July 2022, the board asked us to clarify the consequences of this. The guiding principle remains that the introduction of the new policy should be done carefully so that waste collection does not come under pressure. We are now introducing the changes in phases and not all at once. With the final step on 1 January 2024: the introduction of the new way of calculating waste disposal charges in Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam and Molenlanden. This will allow residents to get used step by step to a situation where careful waste separation pays off.'
Changes in steps
Together with the municipalities, we are implementing the changes in steps. For example, you will receive an environment pass before the summer of 2023. The environmental pass will allow you to open the collection containers for residual waste and VGF waste. An important change that will also combat waste tourism. The pass will also give you access to the environmental centres. After all technical equipment has been extensively tested, the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam and Molenlanden will calculate the waste disposal charges in a new way from 1 January 2024. You will then have an influence on the amount of part of the waste collection charge. A part is fixed and a part is variable. This variable part is called the recycling rate. You then pay for each time you empty the container for residual waste or throw a bag in the collection container for residual waste. Do you separate your raw materials well and do you have little residual waste? Then your costs will be lower than if you have a lot of residual waste. Your municipality takes into account, for example, people with a lot of medical waste, litter pickers and people with insufficient income.
The new way of calculating waste charges does not apply to residents of Vijfheerenlanden. This municipality will decide on this after evaluating the effects of the other measures.
More information
What will change depends on where you live. For more information and find answers to frequently asked questions, visit waardlanden.nl/samenafafvalvrij.