Waste generation and treatment by sector, 1990-2010
You are currently viewing an older version of this indicator. The current indicator version with more recent data can be viewed via this link.
The amount of waste generated decreased to less than 60 million tons (excluding contaminated soil, dredged materials and animal manure) in 2010. Over 88?% of the waste generated was recovered; less and less waste is being sent to landfill.
| Target group | Method1) | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| million kg2) | ||||||
| TOTAL | Total | 50 920 | 52 765 | 63 242 | 60 400 | 59 860 |
| recovery | 31 355 | 38 435 | 50 925 | 50 350 | 52 941 | |
| incineration | 3 885 | 4 695 | 7 083 | 7 178 | 5 125 | |
| landfill | 13 875 | 8 215 | 4 832 | 2 232 | 1 381 | |
| discharge/other3, 4) | 1 805 | 1 420 | 402 | 648 | 412 | |
| Households | total | 6 195 | 7 320 | 8 650 | 9 114 | 8 823 |
| recovery | 985 | 2 925 | 3 875 | 4 777 | 6 954 | |
| incineration | 1 925 | 1 865 | 3 485 | 3 945 | 1 753 | |
| landfill | 3 285 | 2 530 | 1 290 | 342 | 72 | |
| discharge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 43 | |
| Traffic and transport | total | 1 285 | 1 090 | 853 | 692 | 1 094 |
| recovery | 1 060 | 990 | 788 | 361 | 711 | |
| incineration | 70 | 60 | 22 | 17 | 260 | |
| landfill | 155 | 40 | 43 | 42 | 25 | |
| discharge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 274 | 98 | |
| Agriculture, forestry | total | 2 340 | 2 405 | 2 497 | 2 330 | 2 561 |
| and fisheries | recovery | 1 960 | 2 025 | 2 445 | 2 307 | 2 549 |
| incineration | 75 | 75 | 43 | 12 | 3 | |
| landfill | 305 | 305 | 9 | 9 | 6 | |
| discharge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Industry | total | 19 990 | 20 130 | 19 312 | 16 579 | 15 204 |
| (incl. refineries)5) | recovery | 13 880 | 16 240 | 16 464 | 15 087 | 13 468 |
| incineration | 645 | 890 | 1 400 | 877 | 1 103 | |
| landfill | 3 660 | 1 580 | 1 046 | 463 | 508 | |
| discharge | 1 805 | 1 420 | 402 | 154 | 125 | |
| Trade, services and | total | 3 990 | 4 105 | 4 894 | 5 109 | 5 324 |
| government | recovery | 740 | 1 580 | 2 726 | 2 761 | 4 172 |
| incineration | 900 | 750 | 852 | 1 432 | 859 | |
| landfill | 2 350 | 1 775 | 1 316 | 781 | 182 | |
| discharge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 138 | 110 | |
| Construction | total | 12 690 | 14 100 | 23 800 | 23 500 | 23 752 |
| recovery | 9 315 | 12 910 | 22 720 | 22 960 | 23 284 | |
| incineration | 165 | 160 | 210 | 50 | 14 | |
| landfill | 3 200 | 1 030 | 870 | 485 | 437 | |
| discharge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | |
| Energy supply | total | 1 390 | 1 380 | 1 674 | 1 397 | 1 377 |
| recovery | 1 280 | 1 355 | 1 566 | 1 343 | 1 223 | |
| incineration | 25 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 22 | |
| landfill | 85 | 25 | 103 | 20 | 126 | |
| discharge/other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 | |
| Waste water treatment | total | 2 920 | 2 135 | 1 426 | 1 494 | 1 494 |
| plants6) | recovery | 2 075 | 360 | 206 | 599 | 315 |
| incineration | 80 | 895 | 1 066 | 836 | 1 162 | |
| landfill | 770 | 880 | 155 | 60 | 17 | |
| discharge/other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Drinking water | total | 125 | 100 | 135 | 185 | 175 |
| supply6) | recovery | 60 | 50 | 135 | 155 | 167 |
| incineration | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| landfill | 65 | 50 | 0 | 30 | 7 | |
| discharge/other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Waste disposal | total | . | . | . | . | 56 |
| recovery | . | . | . | . | 42 | |
| incineration | . | . | . | . | 4 | |
| landfill | . | . | . | . | 1 | |
| discharge/other | . | . | . | . | 10 | |
| Source: NL Agency, CBS. | CBS/CLO/sep12/0206 | |||||
| 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 decreased over the last two years, to less than 60 million tons in 2010.
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 billion kg, to 1.4 billion kg in 2010). By contrast, there has been an increase of over 20 billion kg in the amount of waste recovered. Almost 53 billion kg was recovered in 2010, in other words over 88% of the total amount of waste generated in the Netherlands (excluding contaminated soil, dredged materials and animal manure).
Sources
- Waste data was provided by NL Agency, Uitvoering Afvalbeheer and was obtained from various sources, including NL Agency, Uitvoering Afvalbeheer and CBS.
- Agentschap NL, Uitvoering Afvalbeheer (2010). Nederlands afval in cijfers, gegevens 2006-2010, Agentschap NL, Utrecht.
Technical explanation
- Name of the data
- -
- Description
- -
- Responsible institute
- -
- Calculation method
- -
- Base table
- -
- Geographical distribution
- -
- Publication frequency
- -
- Trust code
- -
Archive of this indicator
Show more Show less
Reference of this webpage
CBS, PBL, RIVM, WUR (2024). Waste generation and treatment by sector, 1990-2010 (indicator 0206, version 11,