The Swiss Army Knife for Waste Management

June 20 2005 Antigonish, Nova ScotiaRainer Kistler, Senior Advisor Environment, Health & Safety

The Swiss Army Knife

for Waste Management

Zeroing In On Waste

2 Rainer Kistler, Senior Advisor Environment, Health & Safety

Zeroing In On Waste

Context of waste management in Switzerland Principles Legislation

Tools for managing waste non-economic economic

Results Conclusions

Agenda


Zeroing In On Waste

Priciples of Waste Management in Switzerland

• Environment• Limit environmental pollution due to waste

• Incineration plants: - fluegas scrubbers

- flyash and slag treatment

• Landfills:- strict regulation on construction of landfills - restriction of waste to be deposited (organic content etc.)

- rehabilitation of old landfills


Zeroing In On Waste

Priciples of Waste Management in Switzerland

• Closed Material Cycles• Recover materials, if the impact is smaller than

elimination and production of new material

• Resonsability of the private sector for recovering or elimina-tion of their products (EPR)

• Technologies must be technically feasible and economically justifiable

• Separated collection of waste

• Public - Private Partnerships

• Agreements and sectoral solutions instead of state regula-tions, if the goal can be reached


Zeroing In On Waste

Legal Context for Waste Management in Switzerland

• Disposal fee has to include the whole disposal chain until reuse or final disposal

• Mission Statement for Waste Management in Switzerland (1986)

• Disposal fees should be included in retail prices• No subventions for waste treatment facilities (private or

public)

• Environmental Protection Law• Polluter - pays principle• 3RV-E• Encouragement of public - private partnerships


Zeroing In On Waste

Legal Context for Waste Management (cont.)

• Ordinance on Beverage Container

• Obligation for Separate Collection of Waste• Technical Ordinance on Waste

• Obligation for Thermal Treatment of Residual Waste

• Technical Specifications for Waste Treatment Plants

• Mandatory deposit for reusable packaging in glass, PET etc.

• Mandatory deposit for disposable packaging in PVC• Mandatory prepaid disposal fee for glass containers• Obligation for seller of packaging in metal or PET to take all

similar packaging back free of charge• Minimal recovery rate of 75% for containers in glass, alu

and PET

• Ban for landfilling wastes with organic carbon content > 5 %

• Obligation to draw up Waste Managemenet Plans


Zeroing In On Waste

Legal Context for Waste Management (cont.)

• Ordinance on the Return, the Taking back and the Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Appliances• Obligation for customers to return used appliances to

point of sale• Obligation for sellers to take back all appliances similar to

those that are sold at this point of sale• Specification of standards for recovery and disposal

technologies• Obligation for autorisation of recovery and disposal facilities


Zeroing In On Waste

Non Economic Tools for Waste Management• Information Campains

• Separate Collection of Wastes• Action Plans

• Curbside collection of recyclable materials- Organic waste- Paper & cardboard

• Collection of recyclable materials at points of sale- Electronic and electric appliances- PET beverage containers

• Unattended collecting points- Glass containers- Used Oils (mineral & vegetable)

• Eco-Centers- Hazardous waste- Metals


Zeroing In On Waste

Economic Tools for Waste Management

• Prepaid Disposal Fee

• Deposit

• Prepaid Recycling Fee

• Polluter - Pays Principle (Pay-as-you-throw)


Zeroing In On Waste

Mandatory Instruments in Switzerland

Mandatory deposit (min. 30 cts.) for:

Mandatory prepaid disposal fee for :

all reusable packaging for beverages (Glass, PET etc.)

disposable packaging for beverages in PVC

Batteries and accumulators3.20$ per kg, included in the retail price

Glass bottles2 - 6 cts. per bottle, depending on the size of the bottle, included in the retail price


Zeroing In On Waste

Financing System of Battery Recycling in Switzerland


Zeroing In On Waste

Voluntary Instruments in Switzerland

• Voluntary Prepaid Recycling Fee for:• Aluminium Beverage Cans

3 cts. per can paid by fillers and importers/manufacturers of cans

• PET Beverage Containers4 cts. per container sold by members of PRS (PET Recycling Switzerland)

• Electric and Electronic Appliancesaccording to type of appliance: 1$ Hairdryer, 40$ Fridge

• Tin Cans1 ct. per can paid by fillers and importers/manufacturers of cans


Zeroing In On Waste

Recovery Rate, Switzerland(all type of beverages and containers)

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

1988 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2003

PET Alu Glass

requested recovery rate


Zeroing In On Waste

Recovery Rate for Paper & Cardboard

0%

10%20%

30%

40%

50%60%

70%

80%

1960 1970 1980 1988 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2003


Zeroing In On Waste

Pay-as-you-throw enhances Separation of Waste

Canton Zug, Switzerland

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1985

1989

1990

1993

1997

1998

1999

2000

2002

2003

kg/p

ers.

/yea

r

Incineration Organic wastes Paper & cardboard Glass

Metals Elect. appliances Divers

Introductionpay-as-you-

throw


Zeroing In On Waste

Pay-as-you-throw enhances Separation of Waste

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

kg

/pe

rs./y

1992 2002

Residual Waste from Households in Switzerland

without pay-as-you-throw

with pay-as-you-throw


Zeroing In On Waste

Waste Generation is strongly dependent on Taxation Systems

without user-pays tax

with user-pays tax

Paper 35.5 52.0 26.0 50%Cardboard 8.7 11.7 7.1 39%Organic Waste 60.3 81.2 48.3 41%Glass 9.0 14.5 5.8 60%Ferrous Metals 3.3 5.0 2.4 52%Minerals 11.1 13.2 9.9 25%Plastic containers 4.9 6.4 4.0 38%other plastics 25.5 29.8 23.1 22%other materials* 53.4 55.6 52.0 6%

211.7 269.4 178.6 34%

* sum of the residual fractions

munincipalities

Waste generation according to taxation system

differences between mediansall municipalities

typical value (median) kg/pers./year


Zeroing In On Waste

Financial Incentives cannot cause Miracles but .....

• are a strong instrument to support diversion of waste

• push customers and producers alike to take responsibility for their behaviour

• they may have a negative impact on the quality of separate collected waste

• help municipalities to reduce costs for waste management

• Introduction should not increase the tax burden


Zeroing In On Waste

GDP and Waste Generation in Switzerland

80%

90%

100%

110%

120%

130%

140%

150%

160%

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

GDP Generation Elimination Population


Zeroing In On Waste

Economic Tools a MUST for a succesful Waste Management Strategy

• Tailored to meet the needs of a specific country/region

• Combination of voluntary and mandatory instruments• Including financial incentives

• Public-Private Partnerships• Easy to use


Zeroing In On Waste

Questions ?


Zeroing In On Waste

Polluter - Pays Principle (Pay-as-you-throw)

• History• Introduced by the first swiss municipalities in the 80’ (residential &

ICI)

• Polluter-pays principle is widly accepted in Switzerland (>80%)

• Introduced for the first time by all municipalities of a Canton in 1990• Taxation by volume or weight ist now very common for more than

75% of the population of Switzerland

• Results

• Taxation by volume/weight sensitises and motivates people• Polluter-pays principle enhances waste separation• Leads to a significant decrease in waste from housholds to

incinerate• Separate collection systems have to be optimised (organic waste, paper & cardboard, glass)

• Littering is a problem with or without taxation of waste, but taxation tends to increase littering

The Swiss Army Knife for Waste Management

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