Household waste rising again

The amount of household waste generated in the Netherlands rose from 8.9 billion kg in 2003 to 9.1 billion kg in 2004. The decrease in the amount of household waste in 2003 was apparently only short-lived. The amount of waste per capita rose from 559 kg in 2003 to 561 kg in  2004, and is thus now back at its level of 2001 and 2002.

Household waste collected by amount separated 

Compostable waste most often separated

More and more waste is separated before collection. In 2004 nearly half of household waste was collected in separate categories. Of these separate categories, compostable kitchen and garden waste is the largest: in 2004 just over 1.4 billion kg of compostable kitchen and garden waste was collected, 6 percent more than in 2003. In 2004 1.0 billion kg of paper waste was collected separately. The collection of used paper was slightly up on 2003. The downward trend in the amounts of compostable waste and used paper of recent years seems to have passed.

More waste per capita in rural areas

In the rural areas of the Netherlands 625 kg waste per inhabitant was collected in 2004. In the largest cities the amount was significantly lower at 491 kg.

Waste separation is more common in villages than in cities. In extremely and very urbanised areas one third of waste is collected separately, while in rural areas this is nearly 60 percent of waste.

Household waste by degree of urbanisatie, 2004

As the separation of waste has improved, the amount of mixed remaining waste per capita is smaller in rural areas than  in the big cities.

Cees van Beusekom