Waste from manufacturing industries

Waste is defined in accordance with Section 27 of the Pollution Control Act: "Waste is understood as discarded movable objects or substances. Waste also includes surplus movable objects and substances from services, production, and treatment facilities, etc. Wastewater and exhaust gases are not considered waste."

By-product is a substance or object resulting from a production process, which is not primarily aimed at producing this substance or object, and can only be considered not to be waste but a by-product if the following conditions are met:

a) it is certain that the substance or object will be used further,

b) the substance or object can be used directly without any further processing other than normal industrial practice,

c) the substance or object is produced as an integral part of a production process, and

d) further use is lawful, i.e., the substance or object meets all relevant product, environmental, and health requirements for the specific use, and will not have general negative impacts on the environment or human health.

Treatment/disposal of waste is a physical, chemical, or biological change of the waste for resource utilization or neutralization (material recycling, composting, or incineration), or final disposal (landfill, dumping, export, and reuse) at an approved facility.

Landfilling is the final disposal of waste at an approved landfill site.

Energy recovery is the utilization of the energy released during waste incineration, for example, for heating buildings, and is calculated as the percentage of utilized energy in relation to the amount of energy produced.

Hazardous waste is waste that requires special treatment according to the Waste Regulations and is defined based on the European Waste List (EWL) and the content of hazardous properties (Appendix 2 to Chapter 11 of the Waste Regulations). Hazardous waste includes a variety of materials and products but is considered one material type in the waste accounts.

Handling includes everything done with the waste, from discarding it to final disposal.

Composting is the breakdown of waste by living organisms, where the breakdown occurs with access to oxygen. Composting of ordinary waste is considered recycling.

Material refers to substances with relatively similar physical and chemical properties. The classification by material follows the Norwegian standard for waste classification (NS 9431).

Material recycling is the utilization of waste so that the material is retained wholly or partially. An example is the production of raw paper from collected recycled paper and composting of food waste.

Industry refers to the two-digit level in the Standard for Industrial Classification (SN2007), which is based on NACE.

Production is the value of goods and services from domestic production activity, i.e., from market-oriented activities, production for own use, and non-market-oriented activities in public administration and non-profit organizations.

Production of goods and services is not the same as the sale of goods and services. Production is published in basic value, i.e., product subsidies are included, but not VAT or other product taxes (see basic value).

In public administration and other non-market-oriented activities, production is determined as the sum of labor costs, net production taxes, capital depreciation, and intermediate consumption.

Production waste is waste that differs significantly in type or quantity from consumer waste.

Sludge consists of particles mixed with varying amounts of water, resulting in a more or less liquid mixture. The particles can be both organic and inorganic. Sludge is generated in many different processes: production of paper and cardboard, food production, metal processing, and wastewater treatment are important examples of processes that generate sludge. In industrial waste statistics, wastewater sludge is measured in dry weight.

Stratification means dividing a population into subgroups (strata), e.g., by industry and size.

Textiles are products made from natural and synthetic fibers that are spun, woven, knitted, or otherwise processed. Leather and synthetic leather are also considered textiles.

Wet organic waste is easily degradable organic waste, such as food waste and discarded residues from the food industry.

The classification by material and treatment is based on the Norwegian Standard for Waste Classification (NS 9431).
The industry grouping is based on the revised Norwegian Standard for Industry Classification (SN2007), which is aligned with the EU’s industry standard NACE Rev. 2. For the 2008 dataset, the figures are based on both the SN2002 and SN2007 industry standards.

Name: Waste from manufacturing industries
Topic: Nature and the environment

Division for Energy, Environmental and Transport Statistics

National figures only. Figures on a regional level are not possible with the sample drawn for the survey.

The Statistics is to be published on an annual basis. Every 5-7 years the statistics will be based on a wide-ranging sample survey.

The statistics is a part of the Waste accounts for Norway which is the basis for the reporting after the Waste Statistics Regulation (EC2150/2002) and the Joint Questionnaire (EU/OECD).

Statistics Norway (SSB) stores collected and revised data securely, in compliance with applicable data processing legislation. SSB can grant access to the underlying data (de-identified or anonymized microdata) used to produce the statistics to researchers and public authorities for the preparation of statistical results and analyses. Access may be granted upon application and under specific conditions. For more information, see Access to Data from Statistics Norway.

The objective of the survey is to compile national statistics on waste and recycling in the industry. These figures constitute an important part of the waste accounts at Statistics Norway (SSB).

The survey was first conducted for the year 1993 and was then carried out approximately every third year until 2003. The earliest survey (NOT 95/27) covered waste and recycling in oil extraction, mining, industry, construction, and demolition. In 1996, data collection was primarily carried out using interviewers, as documented in the 1999 report (Statistics on Waste and Recycling in Industry – 1996. Documentation of Method).

From 1999 onwards, the collection methods were changed so that the majority of companies responded to forms sent by mail. Only a small selection of companies were interviewed. This made it possible to include companies from all municipalities in the country, providing better coverage of various industries. At the same time, the calculation setup from previous years was adjusted, which may reduce comparability with the first years at a detailed level.

From 2003, industrial waste surveys were conducted annually. A practice has been established with main surveys approximately every five years and simpler surveys in the intervening years. Main surveys, such as in 2003 and 2008, largely follow the same structure as the surveys from 1993, 1996, and 1999. In the intervening years, such as 2004–2007 and 2009, only data on total waste volume and certain waste streams were collected to support other statistics and the waste accounts.

In the surveys for 2015 and 2023, data was collected through Altinn. This made it easier for companies to report, while also improving the quality of the figures. The method also contributed to more efficient data collection.

The statistics are used directly in the waste accounts for Norway and for international reporting to the EU and OECD. The main users of the statistics are environmental authorities, industrial sectors, the waste industry, media, and the general public.

No external users have access to the statistics before they are published at 08:00 on ssb.no, following a notification at least three months in advance in the statistics calendar. This is one of the most important principles at Statistics Norway (SSB) to ensure equal treatment of users.

Data from the survey on waste from manufacturing industry is used in the waste accounts for Norway.

The statistics are developed, prepared, and disseminated pursuant tothe Act of June 21, 2019, No. 32 on official statistics and the Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act, lovdata.no). The statistics are part of the national program for official statistics, main area Nature, land, climate, and environment, and sub-area waste.

Waste Statistics Regulation (EC2150/2002)

The statistics covers waste as defined in Forurensningsloven § 27. For the reporting year 2022, the statistics apply to businesses classified as industry, main areas C, D, and E according to the Standard Industrial Classification (SN 2007). A business is defined according to Statistics Norway’s Business and Enterprise Register as a locally limited, functional unit where activities primarily fall within a specific industry group.

The data is collected through electronic form reporting via Altinn, from a representative sample of industrial companies in Norway. For businesses that already report their waste figures to the County Governor or the Norwegian Environment Agency, the figures are obtained from the Pollution Database. The statistics are based on calculations of this material.

The industrial waste survey is a sample survey. In the main survey, the sample is drawn from situation files from the Business and Enterprise Register. The companies are selected based on industry affiliation and size.

1,800 companies were selected to participate in the survey. Of these, 272 already reported to Pollution, and the data were obtained from there. The remaining 1,528 received forms via Altinn. 1,407 have submitted and are included in the expansion sample.

The sample was stratified by industry and number of employees, and the same selection probabilities apply to all employee groups within each industry.

The strata are divided as follows:

The data were collected through electronic reporting via Altinn. Information letters were sent to all selected companies in the statistical year, and information on form completion and guidance was provided after the end of the statistical year. A dedicated website for the survey was also created, where guidance and other information were posted.

Editing By editing, we mean the control, review, and modification of data. Some companies with extremely large amounts were contacted, and it was found that the waste quantities were reported in tons instead of 1,000 tons. This was corrected. For some companies, we assumed that some large quantities were actually by-products and not waste. Automatic corrections were made to remove such quantities. For companies that report to the County Governor or the Norwegian Environment Agency, corrections were not reported to the companies.

NACE Codes NACE codes are aggregated at the same level as in the Waste Statistics Regulation in the statistical tables.

• CODE = Industry
• 10-12 = Food, beverage, and tobacco industry
• 13-15 = Textile, clothing, and leather industry
• 16 = Wood and wood products industry
• 17-18 = Production of paper and paper products, printing, and reproduction of recorded media
• 19 = Petroleum and coal products industry
• 20-22 = Production of chemical, pharmaceutical, rubber, and plastic products
• 23 = Mineral products industry
• 24-25 = Metal and metal products industry
• 26-30 = Production of computers, electronic and optical products, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, and other transport equipment
• 31-33a = Production of furniture, jewelry, musical instruments, toys; repair and installation of machinery and equipment

Some types of waste that occur in small quantities have been combined under the category “other waste.” The form had the option to include treatment methods such as export and sorting, but due to the small quantities for these treatment categories, they have been removed from the tables. Waste sent for sorting is now included in “unknown treatment.

Not relevant

Employees at Statistics Norway (SSB) are bound by confidentiality. SSB does not publish figures if there is a risk that the contributor’s data can be disclosed. This means that, as a general rule, figures are not published if fewer than three units form the basis for a cell in the table, or if one or two contributors’ data constitute a very large part of the cell total.

SSB may make exceptions to the general rule if it follows from requirements for statistics in the EEA Agreement, the contributor is a public authority, the contributor has consented, or when the information disclosed is publicly available in society.

More information can be found in the ‘Confidentiality’ section on SSB’s page about methods in official statistics.

It has been assessed whether there is a need for suppression due to fewer than three units in some industries. After merging the industries as mentioned in the table under the ‘Editing’ section, the risk of identification was not present, and there was no need for suppression.

The figures from 2015 are comparable with the figures from 2022, but from 2008 to 2015 there is a significant time series break. In 2008, it was decided that some production residues should be reclassified as by-products and thus no longer defined as waste. Therefore, the figures for 2015 will be significantly lower than for 2008. The statistics up to 2008 can be compared over time, but there has been no retrospective revision of the years 1993, 1996, and 1999. This results in somewhat higher uncertainty in these older years. Additionally, the method was slightly changed from 1996 to 1999 (see separate documentation reports for details). In 1993, ISIC was used for industry classification. Therefore, industry classification for 1993 is missing in the article.

Statistics on industrial waste are included in reporting to Eurostat in accordance with the Waste Statistics Regulation (EC 2150/2002). This reporting provides a basis for statistics that are comparable between the countries covered by the regulation.

Errors may and do occur in many steps of the data capture process. Typical sources for errors are filling in forms incorrectly, registration errors, optical reading errors and revision errors. Many errors are discovered and corrected through a thorough revision process and through manual and machine checks.

Sampling errors arise from the fact that the estimates are based on a sample and not a census of the entire population.

The quality of the reported data is now better than in recent survey years. One reason is that companies, especially large ones, seem to have better oversight of their waste and often keep records of it. The distinction between waste and by-products, which was changed from 2008 to 2015, can be a source of uncertainty, although this was clearly communicated in the 2022 forms and corrections have been made to the data material afterward.

Non-response can be due to the company being closed, merged, having changed industry code, or for other reasons not having answered the form. The response rate for the survey year 2022 was 93 percent of the companies in the sample, including those whose data were obtained from the Pollution Database.

A typical measurement error that often had to be corrected was that the unit of measurement in the form was 1,000 tons, but many wrote their answers in tons. Where there was suspicion of unit errors, the companies were contacted and the error corrected.

Sampling error occurs when a sample of units (companies) is used to calculate figures that apply to the entire population of units, and there is not a perfect linear relationship between the variable for which figures are to be calculated (waste quantity) and the auxiliary variable used for expansion (number of employees). The sampling error is due to the fact that it is never possible to draw a perfectly representative sample. Sampling errors are random, and the size of the sampling error is unknown since the actual value to be calculated is not known. However, the uncertainty in the calculated value due to sampling error can be calculated, and it decreases the stronger the relationship between the auxiliary variable and the variable for which a value is calculated, and the larger the part of the population covered by the sample.

The coefficient of variation for the total quantity for the whole country in 2015 was 2.3. For more detailed quantity figures, broken down by industry, material type, and treatment, the coefficient of variation will be very variable and partly much higher.

The coefficient of variation (CV) shows the uncertainty in the calculated figure due to sampling error. By adding 2 times the CV on each side of the calculated figure, one approximately arrives at a 95 percent confidence interval for the calculation, i.e., within which limits the actual waste quantity is 95 percent likely to lie. Since the sample selection has been made with the same delimitations as in 2015, we have not recalculated the coefficient of variation for the 2022 survey.

The relationship between the amount of waste and the number of employees within the individual industries is relatively weak. This can initially result in a large sampling error. The population in the industrial waste survey is therefore stratified by company size, to include as many of the most important companies in the sample as possible. This reduces uncertainty without increasing the reporting burden for the companies correspondingly. Due to the weak relationship between the amount of waste and the number of employees, however, some companies may have few employees and a lot of waste. These companies have a large impact on the calculated waste quantities but a low probability of being included in the sample. This means that, despite the stratification, there may be significant uncertainty in the survey related to sampling error.

Not relevant