Maic Verbücheln, Difu

Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik

„System of waste management in Germany – turning waste into benefit

(separate collection, recycling, reuse) – outlook for the future“

National Workshop: Developing Environmental Infrastructure Projects in the WASTE Sector in Macedonia

28-29th October 2008, Ohrid, Macedonia

Maic Verbücheln, Difu


German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu)

Foundation and domicile• is a non-profit institute and founded in 1973 • located in Berlin and Cologne (Germany)

Mandate and members• is the research institute for cities• is supported by 100 cities (approx. 24 Mio. inhab.)

Deal with different topics• urban development, economy, social policy and

culture, environment (municipal waste management)


Overview

1. Review to the past

2. Today's waste management

3. Results and benefits

4. Outlook for the future


• up to 1970: 50 000 uncontrolled dump sites • 1972: first waste management law• reduction to 500 controlled landfills

Resume• No material flow management - dispose of waste

via littering or dumping

Objective of the past waste management: to solve hygiene- and organisation problems

„archaic phase“

1. Review to the past



Important legislation (selection)

• 1991: packaging ordinance (e.g. product responsibility – implementation of a dual system)

• 1996: Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act (e.g. waste hierarchy, product responsibility) - is the base of today's waste management in Germany

• 1998: battery ordinance (e.g. product responsibility – implementation of a take back system)

• 2005: electric- and electronic ordinance (e.g. shared product responsibility – implementation of a take back system)

Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik *Source: Ecologic

2. Today's waste management System of closed material circle in Germany

Trade

ConsumerProduction

Waste recovery

Waste disposal

Internal reuse

Product responsibility

Paper, Packaging, Glas

Take back systems

Blue: productsGreen: recyclable fractionBlack: production wasteGrey: household waste

Orange: residues

Residues


2. Today's waste management Separate collection and recycling (household w.)Material fraction

System of collection

Main responsibility

Packaging collect and bring producer

Paper, cardboard collect and bring municipalities

Glass collect and bring municipalities

Bio- waste collect municipalities

Electro- and electronic waste

bring (partly collect) producer and municipalities

Batteries bring producer and municipalities

Residues collect municipalities


Resume• partly material flow management – reuse, recycling

combustion and landfilling - produce of secondary raw materials, - produce of power, heat,

- produce of gas …. • there are still secondary raw material in the residue

waste, which are not all recovered today!!!!

Objective of today's waste management: to solve mainly environmental problems

„environmentally and partly resource oriented phase“



3. Results and benefits Decoupling the yearly waste amount from the economic performance in Germany

Source: UBA, Stat. Bundesamt

80

85

90

95

100

year

refe

ren

ce d

ata

(sta

rt 2

000)

household waste

2000 2003 2004 2005 2006

- reduction from 100% (2000) to 87,5% (2006)


3. Results and benefits Collected residues and materials from households

Source: BMU

year residue waste glass, paper, packaging, bio material for recycling

1990 87%34 Mio. t

13%5 Mio. t

2004 44%18 Mio. t

56 %23,4 Mio. t

2006 40%16,5 Mio. T

60%24,3 Mio. t

- increase of material collection for recycling


production waste 64% 30,8 Mio. t.

construction waste 87% 160,0 Mio. t.

bio waste 100% 7,7 Mio. t.

batteries 88% 11.163 t.

municipal waste - glass - paper

64% 100% 99%

26,7 Mio. t. 3,6 Mio. t. 7,8 Mio. t.

packaging waste - plastics - aluminium - tin

78% 53% 77% 92%

12,0 Mio. t. 0,81 Mio. t0,06 Mio. t0,42 Mio. t

graphic papers 88% 7,6 Mio. t.

waste oil 100% 468 000 t.

3. Results and benefits General recovery rates (resource protection)


Take back of secondary raw materials (selection) in the economic cycle lead toe.g.: cut down of imports and an added value (Mio. Euro)

Source: Institute of German economy, Cologne

primary raw material

energy sum (€)

steel 1234 1062 2296

aluminium 138 566 704

combustibles - 343 343

packaging - 225 225

zinc 70 25 95

total 1442 2221 3.7 Mrd. €

3. Results and benefits


Global tendencies• population growth (8/2025- 9,1/2050)* • economic growth (e.g. India, China)

tends to result in:

rise of resource consumption (e.g. crude oil, copper, steel, silicon, plastic, paper…)

environmental problems (e.g. soil, water)

climate change (e.g. CO2-production)

*Source: UNO



Global tendencies• raw material world market prices which are imported in the Euro-zone, rose of about 81% from 2000 to 2005

• industry raw materials prices rose about appr. 50% (NF-Metals 82%, FE-Metals 130%)

a continued rise of prices can be expected on a long term perspective

• costs of raw materials relate to 40% of the production costs (employees for 25%)!!!!

Source: Institute of German economy, Cologne



Thematic Strategies of the COM (EU)

• „Life Cycle Thinking“ incl. waste management view on life cycle of material streams

• Orientation of waste as a resourceusing the resource potential (productivity)

• Development of a „Recycling Society“promotion of a recycling marketeconomic instruments for the steering



Political objectives in Germany (selection)

• protection of resources

• achieve a sustainable economy by the use of a closed material cycle and increase of efficiency

• sustainable waste management with low emissions and effective resource utilization

• entire and ecologically sound recycling of all municipal waste (goal 2020) – close of all household landfills to the year 2020



ResumePolitical and economic pressure will lead to:• widespread material flow management and return

of secondary raw materials in the economic cycle

• material flow management will change the classic waste management to a resource- or material flow economy – new techniques like sorting plants?

Objective of the future waste management: to solve environment- and resource problem

„resource oriented phase“



Resume for municipalities

• reduce the waste amount is important, because the handling and after care is cost intensive but

• can force material flow management systems, by select and collect of waste fractions

• can play an important role in the economic cycle - need of intelligent systems

• markets for secondary raw materials are needed, high quality of products is important



Thank you for attention

Maic Verbücheln, Difu

National Workshop: Developing Environmental Infrastructure Projects in the WASTE Sector in Macedonia

28-29th October 2008, Ohrid, Macedonia

Documents

Maic Verbücheln, Difu