Waste treatment breakdown¶

The waste treatment breakdown illustrates how waste in the region is processed, encompassing methods such as recycling, landfilling, and incineration. It also accounts for imported waste, providing a comprehensive view of how waste is handled within the region. This breakdown highlights the percentage of waste processed through each method, offering valuable insights into the region’s waste management practices and their environmental impact.

This analysis identifies three primary categories of waste treatment: recycling, recovery, and other. Each of these categories can be further subdivided into more specific processes to give a detailed understanding of waste management practices. Recycling includes preparation for recycling, direct high-quality reuse (where no processing is necessary), and indirect high-quality reuse (where some form of treatment is required before reuse). Recovered waste encompasses microbiological processing, including biological treatments such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and fermentation, as well as incineration with energy recovery. The “other” category refers to landfilling, incineration, and temporary storage before treatment or final disposal.

The total waste generation in Friesland amounts to 3.1 Mt. The largest waste treatment category in Friesland is recycling, with a recycling rate of 46%, amounting to 1.4 Mt. Of this total, the majority—1.3 Mt—is prepared for further recycling. Only 4% of the total waste 0.1 Mt) consists of high-quality materials that are either directly reused or treated and then reused. This breakdown shows that recycling is the dominant waste treatment method in Friesland, accounting for nearly half of the total waste. However, the fact that only 4% of the total waste is reused as high-quality materials highlights a discrepancy between materials prepared for recycling and those directly reintegrated into the economy.

The next largest waste stream is categorized as ‘other waste flows,’ with the majority (29%) temporarily stored or set aside for later treatment. Of the total waste, only 1% is sent to landfill, and 3% (0.1 Mt) is incinerated. This demonstrates that minimal amounts of waste are sent to landfill and incineration, with Friesland’s rates being far lower than the EU average of 30% for landfilling and 7% for incineration^[2].

Recovered waste accounts for 13% (410 Gt), with the majority processed through microbiological treatments such as composting and anaerobic digestion. Another 8% (245 Gt) is recovered through waste-to-energy processes^[3]. Omrin’s waste separation rate stands at an impressive 78%, placing it among Europe’s top performers. A key factor behind this success is the separation and digestion of organic waste fractions (OWF), which distinguishes Omrin from other waste management systems.