Waste treatment in waste treatment plants, 2005

For 2005, the total export of waste from Norwegian waste treatment plants was 339 000 tonnes, or 7 per cent of the total amount of the collected waste in 2005. Of the exported waste, 62 per cent was incinerated with energy recovery. The rest was sent to material recovery.

Incineration cools off

From 2004 until 2005 incineration of waste in treatment plants within Norway was reduced by 4 per cent. In total 815 000 tonnes were incinerated at these plants in 2005. In the same period, exports were increasing and 212 000 tonnes were sent abroad for incineration. Waste incinerated by establishments in their own facilities or delivered directly to incineration outside the waste system, is excluded from these calculations.

Landfills are still busy

After several years of reduction in amounts sent to land filling, there seems to be a levelling out at around 1.4 million tonnes per year. The recent focus on cleaning-up of contaminated sites has annually resulted in 200 - 300 000 tonnes of contaminated masses being deposited. Compared to the years before 2003, the amount of ordinary waste deposited has been slightly declining. Household waste accounted for approximately 24 per cent of the waste deposited in 2005.

Masses used for covering landfills has increased and accounted for 32 per cent of the total landfill in 2005, and 9 per cent of the total amounts treated.

Compost varies

In 2005 around 324 000 tonnes of waste was sent to composting. This is 8 per cent less than in 2004, but 18 per cent more than in 2003.

"Travelling" waste

Considerable amounts of waste enter more than one treatment plant. Out of 5 million tonnes of waste that entered treatment plants in 2005, around 1 040 000 tonnes had been through the gates of two or more other plants. This is 230 000 tonnes more than in 2004. Better reporting from the treatment plants accounts for the majority of this increase. Some of the sorted waste is sent to landfills or incineration, and the residues after incineration and sifting are sent to landfills.

Fewer incineration plants and landfill sites

Stricter environmental requirements have led to a decreasing number of waste incineration plants in the past few years. In 2005 there were 19 incineration plants which are three fewer than in 2003. There are currently 19 landfills in operation. In the last few years 4 landfill sites have been closed. In 2005 there were 137 waste sorting plants, which is a reduction of 12 plants since 2004. 93 sites have recycling stations where the public can bring sorted materials for recycling.

For more figures, please visit StatBank Norway :

Please read our articles on:

Waste accounts for Norway

Household waste

Building and construction waste

Hazardous waste

Tables:

• Table 1 Waste incineration. 2005. 1 000 tonnes
• Table 2 Landfill. 2005. 1 000 tonnes
• Table 3 Composting and anaerobic digestion. 2005. 1 000 tonnes
• Table 4 Waste exported by material and treatment. 2005. 1 000 tonnes
• Table 5 Number of plants by treatment. 2005