'Smarter waste collection can save money'

The Municipality of The Hague will put thousands of recycling containers in place to encourage residents to separate their garbage. This is good for the environment and saves money. The municipality’s plans for household waste are outlined in the Huishoudelijk Afvalplan 2012-2015, drawn up by the Municipal Executive.

‘Each kilogram which goes to the incinerator costs money,’ explained Deputy Mayor Sander Dekker (Finance and City Management). ‘You can save money if you collect paper, textiles, glass and plastic separately for recycling. Moreover, separate waste collection can even bring in money. After all, sustainability and lower costs go hand in hand.’

More containers

To encourage residents of The Hague to separate their household waste, dozens of extra containers will be placed throughout the city for paper (30 containers), glass (10) and textiles (15). More old electrical appliances will also be collected. In addition, 10,000 extra containers for paper and 5,000 extra containers for organic waste (GFT) or plastic will be placed in low-rise neighbourhoods.

The municipality’s goal is to increase the collection of old paper by 50%, textiles by 43% and glass by 13%.

GFT subscription to end

Dekker says that the municipality will end the system of the GFT subscription. This system requires households in the most densely-populated part of The Hague (Escamp, Centrum, Mariahoeve and the Scheveningen coast) to take a subscription in order to have their organic waste collected weekly. Because only 1 out of 10 households participated, the system cost more than it brought in, also in terms of CO2 emissions.
 
The Municipal Executive sees opportunities in residential neighbourhoods, where people can easily use containers. To encourage people to separate their waste more, The Hague would like to institute a system in which regular household waste is collected one week and the following week organic waste or plastic is collected. Many municipalities work with this system of alternating weekly waste collection.

Pilot in Leidschenveen

A pilot will start in Leidschenveen with alternating weekly waste collection. If the pilot proves a success, the plan is to introduce this system in 2012 to some 25,000 households in residential areas with many low-rise buildings and gardens.