- Intro text: A crazy project by group 5B of De Schakel primary school. Pupils went into the neighbourhood, investigated litter and collected bags full of it. From their finds, they made colourful whale. On 15 July, they handed over their work of art to us. A strong symbol for awareness and a cleaner environment.
Bags full of litter. An investigation into what's on the streets. And finally: a large colourful whale made from litter. Pupils from group 5b of primary school De Schakel in Nieuw-Lekkerland made serious work of it in recent weeks. On Tuesday 15 July, they handed over their work of art to us.
The pupils went into the neighbourhood themselves and investigated what kinds of rubbish lay where. From beer cups to cigarette butts, cardboard, construction waste and even an old car tyre: it was all in their own neighbourhood. They processed their findings in a report and in a striking work of art: a whale made of litter.
"When we saw what was lying around, we wanted to do something with it," says a pupil from group 5b. "It doesn't belong in nature. We wanted to make something that shows that clearly."
On 15 July, the whale was officially handed over to our director, Jürgen Rau and education officer Wessel Keizer. "What these students have done goes to the heart of our education work," says Jürgen Rau. "They picked up litter, thought about it and turned it into something positive. That is exactly what we want to achieve with the Waste-Free Schools programme: children discovering for themselves why waste and resources matter and that every action - no matter how small - makes a difference every day. We hope this will encourage other schools to get started too. We are happy to help."
Waste-free schools programme
De Schakel's project is in line with the objectives of the Waste-Free Schools programme, through which we have supported primary schools in the region to educate about waste, the environment and behaviour since 2014. We help schools with teaching materials, collection tools, guest lessons and excursions. In return, they do not have to pay for separate waste collection. Some 80% of primary schools in the region are now affiliated. Keizer says: "We make materials and our knowledge available free of charge to schools that want to get started with waste and raw materials. Whether you are just starting out or are already more advanced - we are happy to think along with you."
The Whale of The Switch will have a visible place in our office. Not just as a work of art, but as a lasting symbol for a generation learning to look differently at waste and raw materials.
- Intro text: A broken chair, an old cabinet or a discarded table. These are things and materials that should not or do not fit in the residual waste container. And certainly don't belong on the street. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to dispose of these items properly. Much easier than you might think.
A broken chair, an old cabinet or a discarded table. These are things and materials that should not or do not fit in the residual waste container. And certainly don't belong on the street. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to dispose of these items properly. Much easier than you might think.
Give your belongings a second chance
What you no longer use may still be of value to someone else. Is it still usable? Sell it, pass it on to family or friends, or offer it via a giveaway group on social media. Stuff often quickly finds a new owner there. Of course, you can also go to the Kringloopplein or a thrift shop nearby.
Is it broken?
Then there are other solutions. Have it repaired at a workshop or repair café. Or have the old appliance taken away by the delivery person of your new purchase - many suppliers offer this service as standard. Still want to take it away yourself? Then you can go to the recycling centre with your environmental card.
Take it away yourself - with a free trailer
Items that are really no longer usable can be taken to the environmental street bring, even if you don't have your own trailer. Because did you know you can borrow a trailer for free? Simply book it in advance via waardlanden.nl/self-regulation. You may use the trailer for 2 hours to bring stuff to the environmental site.
Please note: Take your environmental pass with you when you go to the environmental street or Kringloopplein. You will need the pass for access.
Can't get away?
Then you can make a bulky waste appointment. Go to waardlanden.nl/grofvuil How this works and what conditions it must meet. This will prevent it from being left standing.
Together, we keep our streets tidy - and ensure that valuable resources do not go to waste.
- Intro text: Fags on the street? You really can't. Join the region's big cigarette butts clean-up campaign on 5 July and, together with Waardlanden and ABR Activation, send a clear message: butts don't belong in the environment.
Fags on the street? You really can't. On Saturday 5 July, it is time to do something about it together. Waardlanden and ABR Activatie will organise a street littering campaign in Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden and Vijfheerenlanden. With this regional action, they join the global clean-up campaign PeukMeuk 2025, which calls attention to pollution caused by cigarette filters. Residents are urged to participate: collect dry cigarette butts and hand them in at one of the drop-off points on that day. In this way, together we will start the movement, step by step, towards a more conscious use of cigarette butts and a clean and safe region.
Butts: small waste, big pollution
What starts small grows into a major environmental problem. One cigarette filter pollutes as much as 8 litres of water and remains in nature for 12 to 15 years. During that time, toxic substances leak into the soil and water, harming animals, plants and people. Yet thousands of cigarette butts end up in the green, on the street or in the well every day.
'Many people don't think about how harmful such a small cigarette butt can be,' says environmental coach Nelleke Gouw of Waardlanden. 'But it's really shocking when you know what's inside: heavy metals, ammonia, arsenic, you don't want that in the environment. With PeukMeuk 2025 we don't just want to clean up cigarette butts, but above all make people aware and encourage them to change their behaviour. Because every cigarette that does not end up on the street makes a difference.
Cleaning up cigarette butts together and making them visible
Take action, collect dry cigarette butts and hand them in at one of the drop-off points in the region on 5 July. Of course, we will provide enough grabbers and gloves. During the clean-up campaign, the collected butts will not just be thrown away. They will be given a prominent place in the transparent No Waste Chair by artist Kees Dekkers. This chair made of recycled plastic has a capacity of 95 litres and literally shows how many cigarette butts end up in public spaces every day. The fuller the chair, the stronger the signal: this pollution must stop.
Submission deadline 5 July
Everyone can participate. Residents can start collecting dry cigarette butts in advance. Drop off the butts on 5 July at one of the following locations:
- 09.30 - 10.30 am: Vianen - Voorstraat, near the town hall
- 11.30 am - 12.30 pm: Arkel - H. de Vriesplein shopping centre
- 13:30 - 14:30: Gorinchem - Schoutstraat, next to Piazza Center shopping centre
- 15:30 - 16:30: Hardinxveld-Giessendam - Passage between Dirk van den Broek and Albert Heijn store
Free pocket ashtrays will also be handed out during the campaign, so that smokers can clean up their cigarette butts easily and neatly from now on.
Hey Pervert! - Behaviour change campaign
The clean-up campaign is part of the wider campaign Hey Pervert!. The campaign shows how harmful cigarette butts on the street, in the well or in the green spaces are. With eye-catching posters, flyers, social media and an online cigarette quiz, residents are challenged to test their knowledge and discover what they can do themselves. Together, we can change habits and contribute to a litter-free and clean region. Because throwing your cigarette butt on the street? No way!More information on the Hey Viespeuk campaign can be found here.
- Intro text: Residents of the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden and Vijfheerenlanden have an environmental pass per household. This pass belongs to the home. From 1 July 2025, it will cost €15.00 to apply for a replacement environmental pass if the pass is lost or broken.
Residents of the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Molenlanden and Vijfheerenlanden have an environmental pass per household. This pass belongs to the home. From 1 July 2025, it will cost €15.00 for a replacement environmental pass in case of loss or damage.
Why this change?
Replacing an environmental pass costs money: for creating, processing, sending and handling by our staff. Therefore, from 1 July you will pay a €15 fee if your pass is lost or broken. This keeps the system fair and keeps costs manageable for all residents. Only those who need a new pass will pay for it. At the same time, we want to use this measure to encourage residents to use their pass carefully.
The pass is important: you need it to open the collection containers for residual waste and VGF waste and for access to the environmental centres. So keep it well, like other important passes.
Keep the environmental pass safe
Your environmental pass is an important one. The pass is linked to your residential address and is for your household only.
A few storage tips:
- Keep the pass in a fixed place in the house.
- Keep the pass away from magnets.
- Do not lend the pass to anyone.
- Do not make a hole in the pass, the pass will no longer work.
The environmental pass belongs to the house and stays there when you move.
The environmental passes comply with the national standard for waste passes and registration systems, STOSAG. Unfortunately, misuse remains possible. It is therefore important that you make sure your environmental card does not end up in the wrong hands. You don't just hand over your house key or PIN card either. So handle your environmental card carefully and don't give others the chance to misuse it. Someone who misuses the environmental card is punishable by law.
Have you lost your pass or suspect fraud? Then report it and apply for a new pass. We will block your old pass immediately. Visit contact on our customer contact centre: 0183 68 11 11. We will be happy to help you.
Moving house and no pass in the house?
Have you moved house and there is no environmental pass in your new home? If so, you may be entitled to a new free environmental pass. Call our customer contact centre on 0183 68 11 11 during office hours. We will be happy to help you.
Requesting a replacement pass
From 1 July 2025, apply for a replacement environmental pass via our website or Waardlanden app. Payment is via iDEAL.
Frequently asked questions about a replacement environmental pass
- Intro text: Every day, our Waste Heroes work hard to keep the region clean, tidy and safe. Often in the background, but always indispensable. One of them is our waste site manager Erik. Wondering how he makes sure everything runs smoothly and safely at the waste disposal site? Watch his video.
Every day, our Waste Heroes work extremely hard to keep the region clean, tidy and safe. Often in the background, but always indispensable. One of them is environmental waste manager Erik. Many residents bring their waste and raw materials to the waste disposal site every day. But who makes sure everything runs smoothly there? In this video, Erik shows what his job entails and how he makes sure everything runs smoothly and safely at the waste disposal site.
Easy, quick and safe access to the waste disposal site
Erik is a familiar face at the waste disposal site. As an environmental site manager, he makes sure everything is well organised, from changing containers at the environmental site on time to keeping the grounds tidy. He also helps residents turn in their items and gives advice on taking things apart, home sorting and smart vehicle loading. What he likes most about his job? "The contact with people and the idea that I am really contributing to a cleaner living environment."
Wondering what a day of Erik's looks like? In the video below, he gives an insight into his work.
You are a Waste Hero all year round. That is why we will continue to put employees in the spotlight in the coming period. Because behind every clean street, well-functioning collection container and visit to the waste disposal site are professionals like Erik. Want to know more about their work and commitment? Keep following us and discover their stories.
- Intro text: The Week Without Waste has begun! From 19 to 25 May, we will prevent unnecessary waste and separate it as best we can for reuse and recycling. With these tips, you can help!
The Week Without Waste has begun! A great time to reflect on what we throw away every day - and what we can prevent or reuse. With a few smart choices, you can make a difference. Not only this week, but also afterwards. Because less waste is not something for a few days. It is something we work on together every day.
Tip 1 Return bottles and cans
Do not throw away empty beverage cans and small plastic bottles. Turn them in at the supermarket or other drop-off points. That way, you won't throw money away, but earn an extra penny. And you help the environment at the same time! Recycled cans are made into new cans and plastic is transformed into everything from new cans to toys and even garden furniture. Together, let's contribute to a sustainable future and make sure we can reuse raw materials.
Tip 2 Give appliances a second life!
Don't just throw away broken appliances. With a little help, you can often fix them. YouTube is full of helpful instructional videos and websites like Jafix and iFixit offer step-by-step manuals. Prefer professional help? Go to a repair shop in the neighbourhood! Is the appliance really beyond repair? Then you can hand it in when you buy a new, similar appliance. Or hand it in free of charge at one of our recycling centres. Nice and tidy!
Tip 3 Beauty without waste
There are super many sustainable choices for disposable products. From reusable cotton pads to recyclable toothbrushes and even shampoo in soap bars without plastic packaging. Small choices make a big difference! Join us and choose sustainability in your daily grooming routine. Out with disposable, hello reusable!
Tip 4 Stop food waste starts with you
Stop food waste and save money with the Too Good To Go app! Every day, restaurants, supermarkets and cafes throw away good food just because it's left over. With Too Good To Go, you can buy that food at a bargain price and help reduce waste. And do you want to waste less food at home too? Use handy kitchen tools like foodhuggers to keep your fruit and vegetables fresh for longer! That way you can enjoy your favourite snacks for longer.
Tip 5 Discover the power of washable nappies
Save hundreds of nappies and help the environment with washable nappies. And start potty training early for your little one. Washable nappies are just as easy to use and much more comfortable for your baby. Plus, they are environmentally friendly and save you money! And don't worry if you want to use disposable nappies once in a while, you can collect them separately in special disposal bags for baby nappies and use your environmental card to hand them in for free at our recycling centres. Find out more at waardlanden.nl/babyluiers
Tip 6 Share and borrow
Share and borrow for a greener world and to save money. From tools to clothes, there are lots of opportunities to share and borrow stuff, helping us produce less waste together. Discover useful tips and concrete steps to get started today. Read this article.
- Intro text: We have several great vacancies! Will you be our new communications consultant, waste and raw materials policy supervisor or senior administrator/accountant? Find out more.
We have several great vacancies! Will you be our new communications consultant, waste and raw materials policy supervisor or senior administrator/accountant? Find out more.
Vacancies
We are looking for new colleagues! Are you interested? We would love to hear from you and look forward to getting to know you.
Senior Administrator / Bookkeeper
Would you like to play a key role in our Information Management team? We are looking for a senior administrator/accountant.
You will join a team of 10 colleagues, dealing with the planning and control cycle, financial administration, legal affairs and ICT, among others.
What is your role within this team?
- Responsible for financial administration and general ledger management.
- Perform and audit VAT returns and tax compliance.
- Preparation of reports and preparation of audits.
- Identify and improve administrative processes.
- Advising the management team on financial optimisation.
- Coordinate work within the administrative team.
Are you an accurate and proactive financial professional? And would you like to contribute to a solid financial policy within a dynamic organisation? We look forward to meeting you!
Discover here Find out more soon and apply.
Waste and resources policy supervisor
The Supervision and Enforcement team consists of three more colleagues and is part of the Public Affairs department. Together with colleagues from the Communication, Education and Customer Contact Centre teams, you work on changing the culture of waste and providing good service to residents.
As supervisor:
- Check whether rules for offering waste and raw materials are respected.
- Record your findings from checks.
- Contribute to formal settlement.
- Are you partly responsible for the quality of life in the region.
- Maintain contact with external partners, such as police, housing associations and municipalities.
Are you or do you know the flexible, stress-resistant and service-oriented supervisor we are looking for? We would love to meet you!
Discover here Find out more soon and apply.
Team manager
As Team Manager Public Space Management, Commercial Waste and Underground Containers, you will lead a team of about 21 employees. You are part of the Implementation Department, which consists of about 90 colleagues in total. Together with two fellow team managers, you ensure that everyone can do their work well. Your team is responsible for street cleaning, emptying bins and underground containers and collecting industrial waste on behalf of Waardlanden BV.
As Team Manager:
- You coach the staff of the teams.
- You hold work meetings, short safety sessions (toolboxes) and conduct progress and assessment interviews
- You manage and report on allocated budgets as part of the Planning & Control cycle
- You will manage the collection of commercial waste and liaise with our cooperation partner on this.
- You will be responsible for collecting underground containers, emptying bins and street cleaning with sweepers.
- You coordinate the work in consultation with the municipalities.
Discover here Find out more soon and apply.
- Intro text: Pupils, artists and local residents turn littering into a party! The waste bins at Ursulinenhof in Vianen are getting a colourful makeover. No more standard grey, but real works of art.
Pupils, artists and local residents make throwing away rubbish a party. A clean Vianen starts with you - and with a rubbish bin that makes you happy. That is why the waste bins at Ursulinenhof in Vianen have been given a colourful makeover. No more standard grey, but real works of art that invite you to dispose of your rubbish neatly. The Pimp je Prullenbak project is an initiative of Waardlanden, the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden and artists' collective Kings of Colors. The pupils of Kindcentrum Werelds are creating eye-catching designs for the wastebaskets in the shopping area.
Creative approach against litter
In 2024, Waardlanden conducted research into litter in the Vijfheerenlanden municipality. This showed that in some places there are not enough clean and well-maintained litter bins. This causes more litter. The Ursulinenhof shopping centre in Vianen could also use a facelift. Instead of simply placing new bins, a different approach was chosen: using art and cooperation with the neighbourhood to raise awareness and change behaviour. Because an eye-catching rubbish bin? You use it faster.
From design to artwork
The pupils of Kindcentrum Werelds enthusiastically drew pictures for the design of new dustbins. Six winning drawings will be turned into colourful, inspiring works of art by graffiti artists Jasper Briks and Jan-Henk van Ieperen of Kings of Colors.
A party to throw away waste
The colourful bins not only brighten up the streets but also contribute to a cleaner environment. The project shows that you can really make an impact with creative cooperation. Together with the children, local residents, artists and the municipality, Waardlanden is working towards a world without litter.
Come and watch the unveiling on Friday 23 May
From Monday 19 May, the artists will start painting the bins.On Friday 23 May at 3pm is the festive unveiling. Pupils, local residents and visitors to the shopping centre will then be able to admire the special works of art - and see their own contribution. You are welcome to come and watch.
- Intro text: Evaluation Strategy Note 2021-2025: results visible, goal not yet achieved. The goal of the waste and resources strategy is to achieve a maximum of 100 kilograms of residual waste per inhabitant by 2025.
Evaluation Strategy Note 2021-2025: results visible, goal not yet achieved. The goal of the waste and resources strategy is to achieve a maximum of 100 kilograms of residual waste per inhabitant by 2025. Measures are aimed at improving raw material collection, regulating residual waste collection and rewarding waste separation. The evaluation shows that the amount of waste per inhabitant has fallen significantly in recent years in the Waardlanden municipalities. Between 2020 and 2024, residents handed in an average 179 kg less waste and raw materials per inhabitant. Residual waste even decreased by more than 40% to an average 133 kilos per inhabitant in 2024.
Inez van Kronenberg of Avalon Advice conducted the mid-term review of the Strategy Note: "After adopting the Strategy Memorandum in 2021, the project organisation and the municipalities enthusiastically set to work on the new policy. Waste collection has undergone a major overhaul in recent years. And residents have noticed that. The changes and all the hard work of the residents resulted in major environmental gains. In 2024, there was much less residual waste and much more waste could be recycled into new products and materials. Worth a compliment!"
Less residual waste, more recycling
In 2021, the four municipal councils set joint ambitions. A key reason for drafting the strategy memorandum was that every year, councils saw the cost of burning residual waste rise. A trend that will continue in the future. From 2026, the government will give waste incinerators an extra incentive to gradually reduce CO2 emissions. The government is doing this partly to implement the principle: the polluter pays. Waardlanden's strategy is to protect residents from rising residual waste processing costs by significantly reducing the amount of residual waste per inhabitant per year. We therefore aim for less residual waste, better separation and more recycling. This is in line with the national VANG (From Waste to Resource) targets, which apply to all municipalities.
Measures show impact
As part of the new policy, several measures were taken, such as the closure of underground containers and the introduction of the environment pass. In the municipalities of Gorinchem, Hardinxveld-Giessendam and Molenlanden, the recycling tariff was also introduced. Residents in these municipalities pay a rate each time they dispose of their residual waste. In the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden, this does not yet apply.
By 2024, residual waste had fallen to 133 kilos of residual waste on average per inhabitant. A 40% drop from the 232 kilos of residual waste average per inhabitant in 2020, before the introduction of the strategy note. Separation of raw materials also increased across the area, with on average 9 kilos more vegetable, fruit, garden and food waste (VGF), 6 kilos more plastic packaging, metal packaging and drink containers (pmd) and 1.5 kilos more textiles per resident. The investments and structural costs of implementing the strategy memorandum remained within budget until 2024.
Residual waste full of raw materials
Sorting analyses show that 75% of residual waste still consists of raw materials, such as VGF, nappies and PMD. These residual flows can be separated even better. Raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce and can be better reused instead of incinerated at high cost. The quality of separated waste has improved: pmd and biodegradable waste contain less pollution than before. Only for textiles has pollution increased slightly.
In order to achieve the Strategy Memorandum's residual waste target of 100 kg per inhabitant - in addition to implementing outstanding actions - additional policy is needed, such as even more encouragement for the proper separation of raw materials and more awareness about waste prevention through recycling and making other choices such as using, sharing or passing on items for longer.
Find out more in the mid-term review strategy paper 2021 - 2025.
- Intro text: In Laag Dalem in Gorinchem, Barry van Baalen regularly goes out with his grabber and rubbish bag to keep the neighbourhood clean. Sometimes alone, sometimes with others. Find out Barry's story and golden tip.
In Laag Dalem in Gorinchem lives an enthusiastic litter picker who is committed to a clean neighbourhood. Armed with a grab and a rubbish bag, Barry van Baalen often goes out to pick up litter. He usually stays close to home, sometimes going to other neighbourhoods. 'Where there are people, there is rubbish. But I can do something about it myself,' he says.
Feeling good
It all started with irritation: litter everywhere. On the streets, in nature and even in his own neighbourhood. 'I didn't want to wait for someone else to clean it up, so I started myself. The great thing is that you can do it at any time and it makes you feel good.'
Cleaning with others
Usually Barry picks up litter on his own, but sometimes he joins Clean Gorinchem clean-ups. 'That's a fun way to do something good together and meet new people.' Now he also sometimes helps organise actions and posts for social media.
The craziest find
As he cleaned up, he came across all sorts of things. But the most striking thing was a crisp bag with an expiry date of May 2014. 'So that had been lying in the bushes for nine years. Bizarre how long something like that stays around.'
Comments from others
Some people look weird and shout, 'Why are you doing that? It's not your mess, is it?' Fortunately, there are also many positive reactions. 'People give compliments or clap from their balconies. That's nice to hear!'
Golden tip
Want to start litter picking too? 'Take part in a Clean Gorinchem action. Waardlanden helps with materials and makes sure the waste is collected. You meet like-minded people and see immediate results.'
Barry's wish
No more litter at all would be great. But if Barry had to choose one thing, all cigarette butts would disappear from the streets. 'They really are everywhere and contribute considerably to pollution.'
