According to new Volkskrant reporting, few local authorities in the Netherlands are properly meeting recycling requirements.
The reporting states that 71 out of 355 local authorities are not meeting the targets as set by the state, which aims to cut the amount of non-recyclable waste down to 100 kilos per year, where the average now is at some 151 kilos. Based on CBS statistics and infrastructure ministry reporting, Volkskrant sees that municipalities with over 100,000 occupants as finding the targets most difficult to achieve. That said, two municipalities – Reusel-de Mierden and Horst aan de Maas – have found a way to deal with the issue, and that is a charge per bag of non-recyclable rubbish. With the initiative in place, locals in Reusel-de Mierden average 7 kilos of non-recyclable waste per year, while those in Horst aan de Maas average just 23 kilos.
So, is charging per rubbish bag the future of sustainable waste collection in the Netherlands? Groningen University professor Maarten Allers says ‘only a couple of councils which introduced pay per rubbish bag schemes have stopped, so their fears may be groundless,’ discussing the concern that residents would ultimately dump waste in inappropriate places.
