What do we see?
Flanders aims to landfill and incinerate as little household and industrial waste as possible. Nevertheless, there are still waste streams for which no other solution yet exists. In that case, we prefer waste incineration with energy recovery. Only when that is not possible, landfilling is an option.
The graph below shows the figures and distinguishes between (co-)incineration and landfill inside and outside Flanders. The quantities of incinerated, co-incinerated or landfilled waste are fairly stable over a longer period. In more recent years, we see a decrease in 2022 after an increase in 2020 and 2021.
What’s the aim?
We want to avoid the (co-)incineration or landfilling of materials as much as possible, because these activities are tantamount to, in fact, largely giving up these materials for further use in the future. Landfilled materials are no longer usable, unless ways would be developed to mine and reuse them in the future. For incinerated materials, functionality is limited to energy recovery and the possible recovery of the incineration ash.
The Flemish Energy and Climate Plan 2023-2030 states that greenhouse gas emissions from waste incineration in Flanders must be reduced by 25% by 2030, linked to the planned reduction in the supply of residual waste to be incinerated. Waste incineration capacity follows the amount of residual waste and recycling residues generated in Flanders. Only when the supply of combustible waste in Flanders has structurally decreased will the capacity for waste incineration be proportionally reduced. In this way, we avoid both capacity shortages and structural overcapacity. Landfill capacity also remains in line with supply.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator measures the amount of waste (household and industrial waste) of Flemish origin that is incinerated, co-incinerated or landfilled in Flanders or elsewhere.
From 2020, OVAM commissioned a digital counter for the declaration of environmental levies. The counter is used both for declaring and reporting on environmental levies and for reporting on waste incineration plant supply and capacity.
