Waste accounts, 1995-2010

National

Annual publication.

Waste Account for Norway is data source for reporting waste statistics to Eurostat pursuant to Regulation on waste statistics (No 2150/2002) and to EU/OECD (Joint Questionnaire).

Micro data, calculations and revised years is archived in SAS-, Excel-, Oracle and Access-formats.

The main purpose with Waste Accounts is to present a holistic overview of the waste situation in Norway. Waste streams are quantified based on three different characteristics: material type, source of origin and treatment. In the future, we aim at quantifying the waste also by product type.

The Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif, former SFT) makes use of the figures in their reports to the Parliament. The figures also constitute the main data source on waste statistics presented to Eurostat and OECD. Moreover, the statistics are also applied as part in the Norwegian Emission Inventory, the integrated Economic and Environmental Accounts (NAMEA) and sustainable development indicators, thereby representing a relevant foundation for resource and environmental studies. The waste account is also used by industrial and nongovernmental organisations, education and research institues and the media.

The Waste Account depends on an array of statistics for its calculations (see chapter 3.2 and 3.4). Simultaneously, the Waste Account forms the basis of analyses and comparisons with other statistics, both internally in Statistics Norway and within external institutions.

Principally, the Waste Account is now included in the following statistics:

• Other waste statistics. For instance, the Manufacturing waste survey and the Waste treatment and disposal survey are forming parts of the hazardous waste statistics.
• Discharge of methane from landfills.
• Air pollution and energy accounts (figures on waste incineration).
• NAMEA (Norwegian Economic and Environmental Accounts).
• Fees and full costs statistics in the municipal waste sector.

It is considered using waste statistics in the set of sustainable development indicators.

A long-term goal is to make the waste account more integrated into a comprehensive system of environmental and socio-economic statistics. Waste amounts can then be seen in context with environmental effects from discharge to air and water, transport and logistic, employment and withdrawal of natural resources, together with environmental consequences by production and use of commodities.

The Waste Accounts require no separate data collection authorized by the Statistics Act, but build on other statistics were the Statistics Act is applied. See also "About the statistics" for the other waste statistics from Statistics Norway (table 1).

Regulation on waste statistics (No 2150/2002) requires detailed reporting on the different materials, sources and treatment/disposal methods of waste in Norway.

This version is valid for publications until year 2011. For the version describing todays methodology, go via our newest publication (from the year 2012).

The Waste Accounts statistics comprise all waste as defined in Pollution Control Act §27 (refer to chapter 4.1) but with the following exceptions:

• Clean masses of stones, gravels and soil.
• Other materials, which readily may be brought back into the natural cycle of the ecosystems.
• Internally recycled production residues.
• Used products covered by recycling systems, for instance the bottle deposit scheme.
• Infectious, explosive and radioactive wastes.
• Secondary waste, except incineration residues.

Contaminated soil and stones (non-hazardous) are covered, but generally excluded from the totals.

The statistics encompass hazardous waste as defined in Waste regulation §11.4. Certain estimates are also made from other selected groups of health- and environmentally dangerous waste.

The waste statistics build upon Statistic Norway's statistics on foreign trade- and production. The geographical extent is the same for these two statistics.

This version is valid for publications until year 2011. For the version describing todays methodology, go via our newest publication (from the year 2012).

Waste account makes use of an array of different statistics/data sources. The most important ones are listed in table 1. For an overview of all sources, please refer to the publications connected with these.

Table 1. Main data sources in the waste accounts.

Refer to section 3.4. Collection of data

This version is valid for publications until year 2011. For the version describing todays methodology, go via our newest publication (from the year 2012).

One of the main intentions with waste accounts is to build upon already existing data sources, like register data and statistics. No statistical sampling is carried out in connection with the material flow calculations (see chapter 3.6) in the waste accounts.

The different waste statistics of Statistics Norway making part of the waste account use different methods of data collection. Samples and methods of data collections of waste accounts are presented in table 2. For the remaining statistics and sources, please refer to other publications (see chapter 7.1).

Table 2. Samples and data collection in the waste statistics forming the micro data of the waste accounts.

Revision carried out in connection with waste accounts may be divided into two steps:

• Revision of the different basic statistics
• Revision in connection with the compilation of the account

1. Revision of the basic statistics: The possibility for revision of basic statistics varies depending on the data collection methods in use. It also depends on which institution being responsible for the data collection. The statistics on household waste, industrial waste, waste handling and hazardous waste treatment is revised mainly through the following techniques:

• Automatic controls in the electronic forms, for example numerical limits and logical controls.
• Comparison with previous reported figures for municipalities and enterprises.
• Comparison with country average and comparable municipalities and enterprises.
• Collection of missing/insufficient information.
• Direct contact with municipalities/enterprises regarding errors or cases of doubt, which cannot readily be corrected internally in Statistics Norway.

Several revision controls are carried out automatically by computer-based applications.

The micro data concerning the service industries are based on customer registers from waste collectors. Revision of these includes identifying the establishments and connecting them to the Business register, and calculating the amount of waste per employee for each establishment as a basis for identifying outliers. No corrections are made in the micro data, but some industries delivering other establishments’ waste (transport, real estate activities, etc.) are excluded from the survey.

External sources are checked for errors or shortcomings in the following way:

• Units and values are checked against previous reference years of the same data source.
• Register units are checked automatically and manually against the Business register in Statistics Norway.
• Reported values are checked against values normally to be expected.
• Reported values are compared to values of comparable units for example assessed by size of enterprises (number of employees or turnover).

Corrections are made in copies of original fils or separat correction files. Moreover, information originating directly from other statistical sources is covered by revision routines performed by the unit responsible for the statistics or data.

2. Revision in connection with the compilation of the waste accounts: Compilation of the different basic statistics, summed up into one single account, may reveal inconsistencies in any of the underlying statistics. In addition, shortcomings in the account, not covered by the available basic statistics, must also be incorporated. This applies to both specific years and parts of the account.

These tasks are mainly carried out by the following techniques: * By returning back to the original information source, deviations of values in different substatistics can be checked again. Then, the most credible value is chosen.

• Incomplete time series and deficiencies are interpolated. Alternatively, using for example gross product (value added), production value (output) or number of employees as an auxiliary variable, deficiencies may be amended.
• Differences between the two principal methods (see chapter 3.6) are allocated to the categories &“Other/unspecified industry´´ and &“Other/unspecified treatment´´.
• Time series are extended by extrapolation using an auxiliary variable.

Similar techniques are utilized also in the compilation of the different waste statistics. For further details, please refer to the associated publications (see chapter 7.1).

The waste account consists of two different sets of calculations put together. These sets are called the material flow method and the waste statistics method. The material flow method is based on data from Statistics Norway's foreign trade statistics and manufacturing statistics, combined with data on product life times and composition. In order to avoid double counting, information on production level has been used as well. Commodities in the manufacturing statistics given in other units than kilos or tonnes, or with missing data on amounts, are converted to tonnes by applying the price for a similar exported commodity in the foreign trade statistics. The material flow method is applied for paper, plastics, textiles, glass (except building glass) and wood (except building materials), and also some product types being part of underlying waste statistics.

In the waste statistics method, all available waste statistics and other statistics, factors, etc. that may derive to waste statistics are collected and compiled. Please refer to the different waste statistics for further details. For estimations of missing reference years, missing statistics for certain waste sources and for harmonizing of the waste account, please refer to chapter 3.5.

The figures are aggregated prior to release, and follow SSB's rules for confidentiality.

This version is valid for publications until year 2011. For the version describing todays methodology, go via our newest publication (from the year 2012).

One of the goals with the waste accounts is to follow the waste amounts over time. Therefore, it has been emphasized to make the account comparable in time. As a consequence, all reference years are revised when the waste accounts are updated. On a more detailed level, the different basic statistics contain typical statistical errors, first of all due to change in data collection routines and samples. For further details, please refer to publications listed in chapter 7.1. It must also be considered some uncertainty in the waste trend for those materials having total amounts estimated from the material flow method. The reason is mainly change in classification system for commodities in 1988 and 1994 (see chapter 5.4).

Comparison of waste statistics in different countries may be problematic, because of dissimilar set of definitions etc. This applies especially to waste totals, depending on what's been included in the different countries. The same applies to waste divided into different sources. The semi-annual reporting to Eurostat, pursuant to Regulation No 2150/2002 on waste statistics, is believed to have improved this situation. A detailed description of this reporting is to be given in a comprehensive quality report, which is also reported.