Barrierer for genanvendelse af forbrændingsegnet erhvervsaffald

3 English summary

3.1 Method
3.2 Interviews and barriers
3.3 Objectives and alternative options

The present report identifies the barriers for recycling of combustible commercial refuse and sets up alternative options of how to overcome or minimise these barriers.

The basis for the project is the fact that recycling of the combustible commercial refuse is less than expected in the action plan of the Danish Government for waste and recycling 1993-97. Furthermore the total amount of combustible commercial refuse has increased considerably more than the Danish Government had expected.

The project has been prepared for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency by Carl Bro a|s in co-operation with employees at the Municipality of Aalborg and I/S Reno Nord (the project group). Moreover a group of interested parties representing the Danish municipal and private companies for waste and recycling has participated in meetings and contributed with constructive criticism.

Especially within trade, offices and institutions recycling has not increased as much as expected in the action plan of the Danish Government. As individual companies these types of companies produce comparatively small amounts of recyclable waste, but collectively all small companies produce a considerable part of the recyclable waste by way of office waste and transport packing.

Hence, the main emphasis in the project is attached to smaller companies especially within trade, offices and institutions. At the same time focus will be brought on the easily recyclable waste fractions paper, cardboard and plastics which are discarded to incineration in large amounts.

3.1 Method

The project is constructed by means of a problem analysis method called the Logical Framework Approach method. The method is used to describe and systematise coherences between causes and effects, and by systematic use of the method, the number of different factors are taken into account which are essential for the probability of project success.

Possible reasons why the amount of recyclable commercial refuse is less than expected are described in a problem tree, where the cause-effect relationships are visualised.

Moreover, the participants connected to recycling and their mutual relations are identified in a participation analysis after which importance is attached to relations between municipalities, inter-municipal waste companies, private companies and collectors.

Based on the causes described in the problem tree profound interviews have been carried out with specialists from 4 municipalities, 8 private companies, 3 inter-municipal waste companies and 1 collector spread over the whole country.

During the interviews importance was attached to identifying the participants' attitudes, motives and barriers in order to increase sorting and recycling of commercial refuse.

Due to the limited number of interviews the inquiry is not statistically documented, however it should be considered as an example of the relations, which the participants may consider significant.

Referring to the interviews the causes described in the problem tree are given priority and a selection of causes for further project work has been made. The problem tree is then "transformed" into a tree of objectives, where the problems are reformulated into positive, desirable objectives.

Based on the objectives tree alternative options are identified for how the Government, municipalities and inter-municipal waste companies can contribute to minimise or eliminate the barriers for increased recycling.

3.2 Interviews and barriers

The problem analysis together with the interviews indicate a large number of barriers for recycling of commercial refuse. Below attention is given to a number of selected barriers and attitudes which have been common among the participants interviewed.

The interviews indicate that generally companies do not bring commercial refuse into focus and several of them do not recognise the municipal demands for sorting. Although the financial aspects are stated as an essential reason for sorting for recycling, the expenses for waste disposal are not so heavy that companies consider changes of the existing systems. Besides this, lack of room and limited resources to investigate the possibilities for recycling, may influence the fact that some companies have not started sorting for recycling.

In most cases the companies have not met direct demands for sorting from the municipalities. The companies generally want a more active and reaching-out municipality and point out that increased control and instruction will encourage recycling.

Moreover the interviews indicated that comparatively many companies are part of a chain system setting out guidelines for sorting and to some extent also handling the waste disposal.

The interviews among employees in the municipalities indicated that the political interest for commercial refuse generally is low and that the municipalities have not earmarked resources for instruction of commercial refuse.

Despite the fact that 3 out of 4 municipalities have sent out information to the companies it is admitted that the companies' acquaintance with the demands for sorting is limited. It is a very resource-demanding task, which may give rise to the fact that the municipalities in general require the inter-municipal waste companies and collectors to contribute actively.

Another reason may be that the municipalities have limited knowledge about sorting and waste disposal, which confine possibilities and motivation of the environmental supervisors to include waste during the environmental supervision.

Finally more of the interviewed parties indicate that control at the incineration plants will encourage recycling. Only one of the municipalities has expressed its wish for control to the incineration plant.

As a rule the inter-municipal waste companies give instruction concerning sorting of commercial refuse lower priority than the traditional operational tasks of the company despite the fact that the municipalities expect an effort from the inter-municipal waste companies. Thus the inter-municipal waste companies rarely attend to pay a visit and have in general limited contact to the companies. This is partly due to lack of resources, and may also partly be due to the fact that more of the companies are of the opinion that responsibility for following up as regards the companies is vague in relation to the municipalities.

More of the inter-municipal waste companies have indicated that control at the incineration plants as well as systematic reaching-out instructions will efficiently encourage the companies to recycle. However, none of the interviewed parties has actual plans about introducing this kind of control.

Considered from the collector´s point of view the potentiality of increasing the recycling at smaller production companies is big, however many companies decide not to sort waste, owing to the fact that it is too strenuous.

At the same time the collector has experienced that the companies do not take the municipal sorting demands seriously, unless the municipalities contact the companies directly, either by paying a visit or with demands for reporting of waste disposal. Control of the incineration plants together with differentiated charges will according to the collector's point of view, also encourage recycling. The collector has also experienced that most of the municipalities take few initiatives relating to commercial refuse.

3.3 Objectives and alternative options

On the basis of the interviews and the objectives tree the project group has set up a number of alternative options to be considered by the Government, the municipalities and the inter-municipal waste companies with a view to encourage the waste sorting and recycling of commercial refuse. The proposals should not be considered as ready and definitive solutions, but as list of ideas where the ideas may often be complementary to each other or even immediate direct assumptions.

On the basis of the problem analysis and the interviews, 3 areas seem essential with a view to encourage recycling of commercial refuse. The 3 areas are:

• control at the incineration plants
• more reaching-out instruction
• arrangements for smaller companies

Among the specific suggestions for alternative options may be mentioned information campaign towards workplaces and institutes of education, extension of ISAG (Danish information system for waste and recycling) to register recycling at municipal-level as well as increased charges in connection with incineration of confidential papers.

Through the interviews a number of barriers among the participants have been located in order to enable the implementation of the alternative options. Therefore proposals have been made to governmental alternative options to minimise and eliminate these barriers.

Control at the incineration plants could for example be introduced by stopping incineration of recyclable waste following the same principle as the stop for depositing of combustible waste which was decided in Denmark from January 1997. It is important to follow up on whether waste delivered to the incineration plant is sorted correctly and that the collector will be charged a fee in connection with sorting errors. The fee can then be forwarded to the waste producer. By these means a dialogue about the demands of sorting is created between the waste producer and the collector. At the same time it is important to inform the municipality so that the municipality can instruct the companies about correct sorting.

The interviews have indicated that generally the companies are unacquainted with the possibilities and demands for sorting. More reaching-out instruction and better dialogue between waste producer, municipality, collector and inter-municipal waste company is required. To encourage the reaching-out instruction 3 strategies may be chosen:

• grant financial aid to municipal advisory arrangement
• information and education of advisors of waste processing and environmental supervisors
• demand for following-up of regulation for commercial refuse

The reaching-out instruction towards companies demands resources. By introducing a system of subsidies for advisors of waste processing, more of the municipalities - alternatively through an inter-municipal waste company - may have the possibility of establishing an advisory function. The commercial refuse area will then be given a higher priority in the municipalities - both practically as well as politically - which will result in more systematic and reaching-out instruction of the companies.

A higher level of knowledge can be ensured by a national education and information programme for advisors of waste processing and the municipal supervisors. At the same time it is recommendable that a web-site will be created including information about for instance commercial refuse and possibilities of waste disposal.

A last possibility is specific requirements of the law about following-up on municipal demands for waste sorting as well as requests on the municipality about reporting of the achievement.

Smaller companies in particular require simple arrangements to which no planning is required. It may for instance be of relevance to join the smaller companies to the same paper collection or depositing arrangement which apply to households with the possibility of dispensation by documented use of different recycling arrangement. Voluntarily the municipalities can introduce such arrangement provided in the current basis of the act or the arrangements may be prescribed by law.

The project has indicated, that many different aspects influence recycling of the combustible commercial refuse, and this is reflected in many of the alternative options being set up.

The political and administrative aspects to implement the individual suggestions have not been considered during the project and the effect of the suggestions are not documented. Before initiating alternative options it would therefore be relevant with further consideration and investigation.

On the other hand the project has indicated, that despite many barriers for increased recycling, a great knowledge and many possibilities exist for turning the process towards increased recycling of commercial refuse.