Waste generation and treatment by sector, 1990-2012

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The amount of waste generated increased to almost 62 million tons (excluding contaminated soil, dredged materials and animal manure) in 2012. Nearly 93% of the waste generated was recovered; less and less waste is being sent to landfill.

Target groupMethod1)19901995200020102012
       
  million kg2)   
       
TOTALTotal50 92063 24260 40860 90661 857
 recovery31 35550 92550 35053 84257 406
 incineration3 8857 0837 1785 2402 562
 landfill13 8754 8322 2321 4041 310
 discharge/other3, 4)1 805402648420519
       
Householdstotal6 1958 6509 1158 8238 578
 recovery9853 8754 7776 9548 350
 incineration1 9253 4853 9451 753157
 landfill3 2851 2903427221
 discharge00514349
       
Traffic and transporttotal1 2858536941 0761 126
 recovery1 060788361694631
 incineration702217260308
 landfill15543422522
 discharge0027498165
       
Agriculture, forestry total2 3402 4972 329 2 5612 501
and fisheriesrecovery1 9602 4452 3072 5492 489
 incineration75431233
 landfill 3059967
 discharge00133
       
Industrytotal19 99019 31216 58115 29015 102
(incl. refineries)5)recovery13 88016 46415 08713 55113 906
 incineration6451 4008771 103650
 landfill3 6601 046463510438
 discharge1 805402154127108
       
Trade, services andtotal3 9904 8945 1125 3765 443
governmentrecovery7402 7262 7614 2174 971
 incineration9008521.432866124
 landfill2 3501 316781182216
 discharge00138110133
       
Constructiontotal12 69023 80023 50024 52825 706
 recovery9 31522 72022 96023 98625 196
 incineration165210506416
 landfill3 200870485455477
 discharge0052216
       
Energy supplytotal1 3901 6741 3971 4971 544
 recovery1 2801 5661 3431 3431 423
 incineration25592218
 landfill851032012792
 discharge/other0025512
       
Waste water treatmenttotal2 9201 4261 4951 4941 548
plants6)recovery2 075206599315243
 incineration801 0668361 1621 279
 landfill770155601726
 discharge/other00011
       
Drinking watertotal125135185176167
supply6)recovery60135155167159
 incineration00020
 landfill6503078
 discharge/other00000
       
Waste disposaltotal...84141
 recovery...6599
 incineration...58
 landfill...33
 discharge/other...1031
       
Source: Rijkswaterstaat Environment, CBS.CBS/CLO/jul15/0206
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 increased over the last two years, to almost 62 million tons in 2012.

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 2012). By contrast, there has been an increase of over 20 billion kg in the amount of waste recovered. Almost 57 million tons was recovered in 2012, 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, 1990-2012 (indicator 0206, version 12,

) 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.