by mmwd | 12 Apr 2017 | Recent, Recycling, Reports
In this report, prepared jointly with Resource Media, we analyse recycling data from around the world to understand which countries really lead the municipal waste recycling league table.
Some eye-catching headline recycling rates are reported in the media, but the basis on which rates are calculated can vary considerably. In some cases, a great deal of commercial or construction waste is counted, while approaches to accounting for rejects and for intermediate processes like MBT vary considerably. Even within the UK, the four nations now report their recycling on different bases, with Defra producing an annual set of figures that allow the results to be compared on an equal footing.
Both the OECD and the European Commission produce annual municipal waste and recycling statistics, which eliminate some (but far from all) of the inconsistencies. However, there are a few high recyclers that are members of neither organisation – Singapore and Taiwan, for example, report recycling rates above 55%. Bringing these data together allow us to present a world league table of reported recycling rates, which shows Germany as the world leader on 66%.
This is only the start of the story, though, as these figures don’t really compare like with like. Taking account of the different ways of counting, Germany remains in top spot, but is less than two percentage points ahead of Taiwan, which rises to second place, while Wales is in third.
The report also shows the rapid progress that Wales is making, and that the coutry is rapidly closing in on Germany’s established place at the top of the chart.
This report is available free of charge. Press the silver button and supply a few details about yourself in order to access the download.
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by Duncan Wilson | 2 Apr 2017 | article, Councils, Procurement, Recycling, Reports, Waste
The rise in popularity of private wheeled bin rubbish collections means an increasing number of councils in NZ are finding themselves with some tough decisions to make about how they provide services. Duncan Wilson provides insight and perspective in this article for LG Magazine.
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by Duncan Wilson | 22 Oct 2014 | News, Presentation, Recycling, Reports, Waste
View this presentation on ‘The Horror of 240 Litre Wheeled Bins’ from the WasteMINZ Conference 2014. In this presentation Duncan Wilson presents a range of data that demonstrates how large wheeled bins for rubbish drive wasteful behaviour. Simply put, big bins encourage people to throw out more stuff. Most of the extra stuff people put in the bins is garden waste. But there is also more recyclable material, and other things like tree stumps and TVs that should be recovered or properly disposed of. The data is compelling. It is more relevant than ever as private wheeled bins services become more popular. Such services can undermine efforts to recover and recycle.
Click the button below to download a copy of the presentation.
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by Duncan Wilson | 19 May 2013 | Councils, Recycling, Reports, Waste
This waste stocktake report has been undertaken to help construct a comprehensive picture of waste management in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions. It provides a snapshot of the current situation, and highlights key gaps and opportunities. This report updates and expands on separate waste stocktake reports conducted for the regions in 2007.
Common actions identified in the WMMPs included increasing kerbside recycling, organic waste collections (10/16 councils), RTS management and pricing, improving data collection, actioning solid waste bylaws, improving infrastructure, collaboration – including lobbying of central government (for example on product stewardship), communications and education, and facilitating reuse. Common themes in the WMMPs include:
- concerns around the Emissions Trading Scheme and rising disposal costs
- the ongoing presence of recyclables in the residual waste stream, even with recycling services in place
- lack of appropriate or sufficient facilities for waste and diverted materials within the districts or regions
- lack of data, both for council-controlled waste streams and those managed by the private sector
- opportunities to save costs and/or increase efficiency and effectiveness through collaboration
- significant proportions of organic waste in the residual waste stream
- addressing specific waste types such as hazardous and agricultural wastes.
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by Duncan Wilson | 20 Jun 2012 | Recycling, Reports, Waste
Taking waste out of waste – LG Magazine Article
Councils, like most sectors of society, have been feeling the pressure to constrain spending following on from the last global financial crisis. But ‘doing more with less’, as much as it sounds like a corporate cliche, is actually no bad thing. Adversity can force us to look for new and better ways of doing things. The current focus on ‘fiscal restraint’ means that when councils are looking at re-tendering their waste contracts, price and value for money are more than ever at the head of the key criteria list. The waste sector is changing at an ever-increasing rate due to new technologies and the growing realisation we need to minimise what we throw away. But I predict there will be even greater change driven by the need to innovate and find new and better ways of working.
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by Duncan Wilson | 20 Apr 2012 | Recycling, Reports
Reuse centres are frequently established and run by community-based organisations, a sector that is often lacking in technical expertise or the financial resources to buy in any expertise needed. A number of issues were identified during the establishment of the Whakatane reuse centre that would be common across most reuse centres in New Zealand. A large amount of formal documentation and processes were also produced which would apply to the majority of reuse centres. This establishment guide has been developed to provide guidance, information, standard documentation and templates to any groups planning to establish a reuse centre.
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by Duncan Wilson | 20 Oct 2011 | Recycling, Reports, Waste
Results from the Putaruru food waste collection trials. Key results include:
− Waste reduction effect appears significant
− More food waste in residual than expected – but high margin of error
− Full user-pays or fortnightly refuse collection would further improve capture
− Feedback has been positive
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by Duncan Wilson | 19 Oct 2009 | Recycling, Reports, Strategy, Waste
This report presents a stocktake of waste and diverted materials flows and facilities in the Auckland Region. Data and information from local government, business, and key waste and recovered material operators have been compiled to provide a quantitative analysis of waste and diverted materials in the region.
A key context is the upcoming change, from November 2010, to regional governance as one regional council and seven territorial authorities will become a single Auckland Council. This will see the amalgamation of the local authorities’ role in respect of waste into a single entity1. The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA) requires every territorial authority to complete a review of its Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) by July 2012. Section 51 of the WMA prescribes the requirements for a Waste Assessment which must be completed before a Waste Management and Minimisation Plan is reviewed. This report provides an up-to-date summary of waste generation, movement, diversion, and disposal within the region that will potentially be of value for the Waste Assessment.
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by Duncan Wilson | 20 Nov 2007 | Organic, Recycling, Reports
Kitchen food waste in New Zealand typically makes up around 40% of domestic collected waste (150-170kg per capita) making it one of the largest, if not the largest, single fraction of the domestic waste stream (Waste Not Consulting 2007), and therefore an obvious target for diversion from landfill. Preventing kitchen waste from being sent to landfill can also have significant environmental benefits as it is a contributor to the production of greenhouse gases (particularly methane) and leachate when placed in a landfill environment. Furthermore, food waste is a source of nutrient rich organic material which, if subjected to biological treatment, can make a valuable soil amendment and/or provide a source of energy (through capture of methane from biodigestion).
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