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Waste audits and cooperation agreements between the city and companies
To foster waste avoidance, Basel voted a parliamentary resolution providing for the replacement of the local waste incineration plant by one with a reduced capacity (200,000 tonnes instead of an estimated needed capacity of 320,000 tonnes). Consequently strong measures were needed to effectively reduce the amount of residual waste to be incinerated. Refuse disposal charges were introduced for the municipal solid waste (MSW) first in 1993. An increased number of neighbourhood containers to promote recycling were installed, different information and motivation campaigns took place. As a consequence of the consumer’s pressure, the trade industry put in place a new packaging policy, reducing altogether the household waste by 40 %.
Yet this was not enough. Indeed, more than 60% of the total MSW in Basel result from trade, administration and manufacture activities. A waste minimisation programme for trade and industry in the canton of Basel was then required. In 1997, a three-stage waste minimisation programme started. It was based on waste management audits followed by cooperation agreements between the public authorities and the companies and a final controlling assessment after the defined period.
To participate in the programme, 200 companies out of the 10,000 identified were selected according to criteria such as the annual amount of MSW, the waste tonnage in the recent years, and the overall recycling quota. The identification of those companies was simple because at that time already, each company delivering waste to the incineration plant, had to declare also the recycling efforts. The databases came from there. For each company to be visited a specific coverage sheet was prepared to reduce the inspection time and the meeting was fixed by telephone.
The audit on the site, in presence of the waste manager of the company, was useful to assess the current state of waste management, to record the collection logistics and to grasp the organisation of the company. On this basis, solutions to improve waste management were identified and agreed upon with companies. Such agreements were concluded with more than 80 companies - which produced about 50 % of the commercial MSW.
The evaluation of the programme followed to assess the effectiveness of these measures by a second visit. The half of the agreements were completely accomplished, the rest only partly due to overestimation of the recycling potential; for some few units it was for reorganisation reasons. As a result, a reduction of the incinerated commercial waste by prevention and recycling of about 15 % was observed. The team of advisors from the administration consisted of 2 persons only.
Between 1993 and 2000, these measures achieved a reduction from 117,000 tonnes to 89,000 tonnes of MSW to be incinerated.
More information:
Mr Jean-Claude Gfeller
Industrielle Werke Basel
Hagenaustrasse 40 - CH-4054 Basel
Tel. +41 61 275 50 96
Fax +41 61 322 61 71
jean-claude.gfeller@iwb.ch |
Waste counselling service for private households and businesses
Munich and Nuremberg are two German cities which set up waste advice service for households. To increase waste reduction, they have extended the service to businesses.
In Munich, 6 municipal consultants specialised in industrial waste assist companies in handling and disposing of various kinds of waste. They operate a special telephone line, and visit directly companies for consultation. Information folders about new laws or tips are regularly published. They also organise special information sessions for companies.
Information to increase acceptance and compliance
The “Waste Disposal System 2000” of Nuremberg aims at a comprehensive overall development of the waste disposal facilities, with a priority given to recycling. In 1990, the city introduced its own law to encourage waste reduction, consisting of a waste management bylaw and a waste disposal fee system.
The planners acknowledge that good information of the population about the various possibilities is a pre-requisite for the acceptance and the success of the waste disposal system. Therefore, as early as 1987, the city established a waste counselling service for private households, as well as for the industry, the trade, and the service companies. Methods range from individual talks to lectures for groups. Public relations means, such as leaflets and posters, and the participation in events of all kinds allow an information transfer adapted to the target groups.
The service employs 12 waste advisors to inform the population. Since 1992, this team has been complemented with a team of honorary waste advisors.
Service adapted to companies’ needs
The counselling service dedicates 8 waste advisors out of the 12 employees to assist companies in their waste reduction strategy. Indeed, the 23,000 commercial companies have strong obligations under the 1990 bylaw. They must separate their waste for recycling and pay a fee according to the volume of waste produced. Most companies are small waste producers and their waste is collected through the same system as households. The 1,500 largest businesses have stronger obligations for waste separation. All businesses producing more than 50 tonnes of waste a year also have to produce a waste report and a waste reduction strategy for the following year.
Through the waste advice service, business enterprises and public organisations receive support in correctly handling waste for collection and recycling. Direct and individual contacts contribute to ensure that they fulfil their obligations regarding charges for waste removal. The advisors also assist commercial waste producers in producing the necessary disposal reports.
In addition, specific strategies have been developed to adapt to the differences of various business sectors. To achieve this, the city has worked with representatives of each sector: building and construction, motor trade, hotels and restaurants, carpenters, painters and varnishers, sport associations, hospitals and the City Council itself.
Results
All in all, the use of the “carrot” and “stick” – the bylaw and the fee system - has proven to be useful, to encourage both waste reduction and the separation of recyclable materials. Waste production decreased by 15% between 1989 and 1994 (from 149,000 tonnes of waste to 127,000 tonnes). If business as usual continued, 200,000 tonnes of waste would have been produced in 1994 – thus the approach of Nuremberg may have achieved 37% of waste avoidance.
This success in waste avoidance mainly comes from the efforts of households. The results of companies are also quite good: companies’ recycling rates vary between 20% and 90%. Most of the companies separate cardboard, glass, metals and plastics, but only a few separate their canteen waste.
More information:
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