Waste generation and treatment by sector, 1990-2014

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The amount of waste generated was about 60 million tons (excluding contaminated soil, dredged materials and animal manure) in 2014. Nearly 93% of the waste generated was recovered; less and less waste is being sent to landfill.

Target groupMethod1)19901995200020102014
       
  million kg2)   
       
TOTALTotal50 92063 24260 40860 90659 536
 recovery31 35550 92550 35053 84255 403
 incineration3 8857 0837 1785 2402 020
 landfill13 8754 8322 2321 3101 301
 discharge/other3, 4)1 805402648419812
       
Householdstotal6 1958 6509 1158 8238 266
 recovery9853 8754 7776 9548 136
 incineration1 9253 4853 9451 75316
 landfill3 2851 2903427227
 discharge00514387
       
Traffic and transporttotal1 2858536941 076967
 recovery1 060788361694480
 incineration702217260164
 landfill15543422513
 discharge0027498310
       
Agriculture, forestry total2 3402 4972 329 2 5612 497
and fisheriesrecovery1 9602 4452 3072 5492 490
 incineration75431231
 landfill 3059963
 discharge00133
       
Industrytotal19 99019 31216 58115 29014 505
(incl. refineries)5)recovery13 88016 46415 08713 55113 437
 incineration6451 4008771 103571
 landfill3 6601 046463510343
 discharge1 805402154127153
       
Trade, services andtotal3 9904 8945 1125 3765 736
governmentrecovery7402 7262 7614 2175 294
 incineration9008521.43286646
 landfill2 3501 316781182198
 discharge00138110199
       
Constructiontotal12 68023 80023 50024 52823 826
 recovery9 31522 72022 96023 98623 224
 incineration165210506437
 landfill3 200870485455545
 discharge0052220
       
Energy supplytotal1 3901 6741 3971 4971 949
 recovery1 2801 5661 3431 3431 778
 incineration25592210
 landfill8510320127143
 discharge/other0025519
       
Waste water treatmenttotal2 9251 4271 4951 4941 329
plants6)recovery2 075206599315169
 incineration801 0668361 1621 152
 landfill77015560178
 discharge/other00010
       
Drinking watertotal125135185176328
supply6)recovery60135155167323
 incineration00020
 landfill6503074
 discharge/other00000
       
Waste disposaltotal...84133
 recovery...6574
 incineration...522
 landfill...317
 discharge/other...1021
       
Source: Rijkswaterstaat Environment, CBS.CBS//apr17/0206
1) Treatment methods were redefined with the coming into force of the National Waste Management Plan (Landelijk afvalbeheerplan, LAP) and the Environmental Management Act (Wet milieubeheer). 'Recovery' therefore now includes preparation for re-use, recycling, use as fuel and other applications.
2) Excluding contaminated soil, dredged materials and animal manure.
3) The disposal of phosphogypsum was reported as discharge and the discharge of liquid waste streams (after treatment) was reported as recovery up to and including the year 2000. As of 2001, the discharge of liquid waste streams (after treatment) is reported separately as discharge. No phosphogypsum has been discharged since 2001.
4) As of 2003, discharge also includes 'liquid loss' during the drying of liquid waste streams prior to disposal.
5) As of 2004, the use of industrial waste as a fuel for energy generation falls under recovery and no longer under incineration.
6) Waste water treatment plants and the drinking water supply together make up the target group 'Actors in the water chain'.

Changes in amount of waste generated

The way in which much waste generation and treatment is monitored has changed. Where possible, these changes were implemented from 2006, but some only took effect in 2007 or 2008. The amount of waste stabilized on about 60 million tons in 2014.

Less waste being sent to landfill and more recovered

There has been a considerable decrease in the amount of waste sent to landfill since 1990 (from almost 14 million tons, to 1.3 million tons in 2014). By contrast, there has been an increase of almost 25 billion kg in the amount of waste recovered. Almost 55 million tons was recovered in 2014, in other words almost 93% of the total amount of waste generated in the Netherlands (excluding contaminated soil, dredged materials and animal manure).

Sources

  • Waste data was provided by Rijkswaterstaat Environment - Waste and was obtained from various sources, including NL Agency, Uitvoering Afvalbeheer and CBS.
  • Rijkswaterstaat Environment (2015). Nederlands afval in cijfers, gegevens 2006-2015, Rijkswaterstaat Environment - Waste, Utrecht. (not published yet)

Technical explanation

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Archive of this indicator

Reference of this webpage

CBS, PBL, RIVM, WUR (2024). Waste generation and treatment by sector, 1990-2014 (indicator 0206, version 13,

) www.clo.nl. Statistics Netherlands (CBS), The Hague; PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague; RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven; and Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen.