The sorting is going better than expected – well done, residents!
The four-stream household waste collection in Hafnarfjörður has exceeded expectations, and residents have done very well in adopting the new system and separating food waste from other waste. The collection of organic kitchen waste is the biggest and most important change with the four-stream waste system. In July, nearly 62 tonnes of food waste were collected in Hafnarfjörður, and the amount increased by almost 47% in September when around 90.5 tonnes were collected.
You are part of the circular economy!
The four-stream household waste collection in Hafnarfjörður has exceeded expectations, and residents have done very well in adopting the new system and separating food waste from other rubbish. The collection of organic kitchen waste is the biggest and most important change with the four-stream waste collection. In July, the first registration month for the new waste sorting system, nearly 62 tonnes of food waste were collected, and this amount increased by almost 47% in September when around 90.5 tonnes were collected. The results have exceeded expectations, and this is thanks to the residents of Hafnarfjörður for their immediate and positive adoption of the new waste sorting system. Separating food waste from general rubbish means a lower carbon footprint and allows the amount of waste sent to landfill to be reduced. It is pleasing to see that the amount of mixed waste has also decreased by almost 36 tonnes between July and September. The less that is landfilled, the more can be recycled or reused, helping to maintain the circular economy. Plastic was previously collected with general waste but is now collected separately, and it is important to ensure it is sent to an appropriate recycling process. An average of 25 tonnes of plastic has been collected each month during the third quarter. Paper collection is on a par with the collection levels before the four-stream household waste collection began in July, with an average of around 57 tonnes collected monthly. The municipality receives treatment fees from the Recycling Fund for the collection of plastic and paper, and it is therefore a matter of great importance to ensure and increase all sorting.
A great waste of resources when waste is not sorted.
This summer, around 6,500 rubbish bins were distributed and given to approximately 10,500 households in Hafnarfjörður, along with plastic baskets and sets of paper bags. At the same time, older rubbish bins were re-labelled to promote the statutory four-way sorting of household waste, as the collection of food waste, mixed waste, plastic packaging, and plastic and cardboard is required by law at every household. A great deal of valuable resources are wasted when waste is not sorted, as recycling or reusing it is then not possible. Recycling involves using a waste material for the same or a similar purpose as its original one; for example, an aluminium can is recycled into a new aluminium can or paper into notebooks. Reuse is when waste materials replace other raw materials, for example, food waste is converted into compost and methane, or mixed waste is incinerated for energy production. The aim is to minimise landfill and return household waste to the circular economy.
Everything costs something
A treatment fee is an extended producer responsibility that is levied on certain products, for example all plastic and paper packaging, at the time of their manufacture or importation. The charge is intended to cover the cost of collecting and otherwise managing these products once they become waste, and thus encourages their sorting and return. Local authorities are allocated funds from the Recycling Fund based on the proportion of collected waste subject to the recycling charge, i.e. plastic packaging, paper and cardboard. The funds are used for the ongoing operation of waste collection services for the residents of the local authority.
Residents buy products and collect them in a rubbish bin or take them to a local collection or recycling centre after consumption or use. Property owners pay a refuse collection and disposal fee for the collection of household waste and the operation of neighbourhood and recycling centres, which are serviced by Terra Environmental Services, the waste service provider for the City of Hafnarfjörður, and the waste is taken to the reception and sorting facilities of Sorpa.
Sorpa is owned by the municipalities of the capital region and is run on a not-for-profit basis with the environment, community and cost-effectiveness as its guiding principles, and plays an important role in the circular economy. Funds generated through recycling and reuse go directly back into Sorpa's operations for its activities and new technology.
Paid when thrown
The implementation of changes to the council's charging for waste management has begun in Hafnarfjörður. Following amendments to Act No. 55/2003 on waste management, charges for waste management are to be as close as possible to the actual cost per individual, whereby everyone pays for what they dispose of based on the number of containers at an address, Pay-As-You-Throw.
The tariff schedule and collection system must be amended to require that the fixed fee is limited to 50% until 2025 and 25% thereafter. The project is being carried out with a grant from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources in cooperation with the Housing and Building Authority, the Association of Icelandic Municipalities, and the Municipalities of the Capital Region. The arrangement will be presented in more detail on the City of Hafnarfjörður's channels in the coming months.
More information about the four-party system in general
Specific information on the implementation and arrangements in Hafnarfjörður
Sale on all types of 240L rubbish bins has begun | Hafnarfjörður (hafnarfjordur.is)