Waste and recovery

Norsk glassgjenvinning at Onsøy. Photo: Linn Bryhn Jacobsen, Climate and Pollution Agency

We generated 10.9 million tonnes of waste in Norway in 2008. That is an increase by 2 per cent from the year before. The highest growth rate comes from household waste, which has increased by 62 per cent since 1995. Provisional figures from Statistics Norway show that every Norwegian generated on average 420 kilos of household waste in 2009; about 14 kilos less than the year before.

Waste quantity exceeded the growth in economy in 2008

Figures from 2008 show that the growth in waste quantity has exceeded the economic growth. The main reason is a rise in industrial waste, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of the total waste. An increase in consumption and building acitivities as well as an increase in activites in the industry sector are probably important drivers in this development.

We have a national target which states that the total quantity of waste shall be considerably lower than the growth in the economy. The development from 2007 to 2008 is not in line with this target.

We recover more than 70 per cent of the waste

Ten years ago, it was common to landfill most of the waste in Norway. Since then, the proportion of the waste that is landfilled has decreased, while the proportion that is recovered has increased correspondingly. In 2008, approximately 71 per cent of the waste was recovered.

Waste contains resources, both energy and materials, which can be recovered in the recycling process. Material recovery involves using the materials as raw material in new production of goods and energy is also saved by not using virgin materials. Aluminium recycling is a good example of such practices. If the waste is not landfilled, but used to replace fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions are further reduced.

The figure shows that material recovery is the most common  waste treatment today and accounts for two thirds of the waste recovered. The rest is incinerated with energy recovery.

The environmental impact of waste treatment and disposal depends on:

• the volume of waste produced and its composition
• the amounts illegally disposed of,
• the amounts that are landfilled or incinerated
• the standards at the treatment plants

Final treatment of waste means landfilling or incineration, and the two treatment methods result in different environmental impacts.

Landfilling leads to the generation and release of methane, a greenhouse gas. In 2009, methane from waste accounted for about 2 per cent of Norway's greenhouse gas emissions and thus contributes to global warming. Furthermore, hazardous chemicals may be released to the environment through sewage water. Landfilling also represents a threat for coming generations as emissions continue for a very long time after waste is deposited.

Incineration of waste leads to emissions of flue gases containing hazardous chemicals, dust and acidic components.

Economic growth, or growth in production and consumption, is the key driving force behind the escalating waste volumes. Larger homes, higher housing standards, frequent decoration and reconstruction, and increased spending on furniture and household appliances are typical examples of how affluence generates waste. Our lifestyle also dictates how much waste we produce. A hectic schedule makes disposable products attractive, and buying new products can be more appealing than repairing old ones. 

Greater awareness

Greater awareness of waste problems and involvement in the waste debate can be important factors in reversing growth trends. Local interest can create political pressure that results in environmentally sound solutions and greater awareness of waste and environmental issues. The business and industry sector is showing a growing interest in using the environmental benefits of its products as a marketing strategy. This helps reduce waste generation, and the amounts of hazardous substances in products.

Waste management is regulated in various ways, and there is an interplay between regulation at central and local levels. The central government authorities set the general framework, leaving municipalities and industry with a relatively high degree of discretion to design local collection and treatment solutions.  

The authorities have put in place a number of instruments (e.g. legislation, taxes, economic incentives) targeted at the municipalities, business and industry. Their full effect is expected to increase. However, there is concern about recent trends. The need for new measures is therefore being considered. Such measures will be designed mainly to develop and complement those that are already in place.

The most important waste policy instruments are:

• municipal responsibility for household waste
• business and industry responsibility for dealing with the waste they generate, including the collection and appropriate treatment of certain types of waste products, such as ee-waste, packaging, cars, tyres, batteries, lubricant oil and PCB-windows
• regulation of landfilling and incineration according to EU legislation
• tax on landfilling of waste
• waste management plans as a mandatory element of all building projects, as part of municipal administrative procedures

• landfilling of biodegradable waste is prohibited, as of July 1st 2009