Speech by the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, at the Waste Management Seminar, São Paulo

Toespraak | 20-04-2012

Ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to be here to open this seminar.
Waste is an important issue, and a big part of our concern for people and planet.

We’re putting too great a burden on the environment.
We’re exploiting our natural resources
as if this were not the only world we have.
And we’re threatening biodiversity.  
Waste management is one of the answers to the challenges we face.
All over the world, people are devising more ways of making new products from waste materials.
Recycling is set to increase, as raw materials become scarcer and costlier to extract.
Re-using waste will help us to tackle climate change, environmental degradation and threats to biodiversity.

So I am proud to say that the Netherlands has one of the best records in Europe – and possibly in the world – for recycling.

Lack of space in our small country and  growing environmental awareness forced the Dutch government to take measures.
First to eliminate landfill waste.

This, in turn, gave companies the confidence to invest in more environmentally-friendly solutions.

Forty years ago, waste management became a fixed item on the Dutch agenda.
But the real transition took place in the 1990s. From being small-scale, inefficient and regional, the waste sector became professional, internationally oriented and increasingly innovative. That is where we are now.

The results have been impressive: in 2010 around 80% of waste was recycled, 17% incinerated and only 3% landfilled.

A total of 97% of our waste is recovered.

New waste legislation shifted the focus from final disposal towards recycling.

All this gave a boost to our waste sector.
The Dutch recycling sector has seen its turnover grow by 300% since 2000.

The Dutch approach is all about getting more out of waste.
Many terms have been coined for this approach:
‘closing the material cycle’, ‘circular economy’, ‘waste does not exist’ and ‘urban mining’, to name a few.

Innovation gives rise to new applications.
The Netherlands is aiming for more recycling and less disposal. And we want fewer rules, which are strictly enforced.
During this seminar you will see examples of the Dutch approach.
It took us many years to get where we are now.
It’s not just a matter of technology, but also of organisation, planning and enforcement.
In the Netherlands, cooperation and consultation are key. Between all tiers of government and with all the different stakeholders.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Brazil has seen strong economic growth in the past few years.
It now recognises the need for environmental policy and legislation, coupled with enforcement and education.
This is seen as essential for the country’s further economic and social development.

New waste legislation in Brazil has changed the focus from final disposal to recycling.
After August 2014 all valuable waste has to be collected and recycled.
Only residual waste will be landfilled.
The principle underpinning the legislation is reverse logistics.
In other words, the manufacturer or importer is responsible.
Heavy fines have been announced and licenses will be withdrawn if companies do not comply.

São Paulo has adopted this new principle and is keen to work with the Netherlands to find out how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems work in Europe.

In the early 1990s, the Netherlands first applied this principle to packaging, batteries, e-waste and end-of-life vehicles.

On the basis of voluntary agreements between industry and the government, it has been extended to other products, and legislation has been enacted.
Given the success of this principle in the Netherlands, it has now been adopted at EU level for several waste flows.
The EPR principle has been included in EU directives on end-of-life vehicles, E-waste, batteries and accumulators, for example.

The aim of this seminar is to help industry and government authorities in São Paulo implement the system.
The similarities and differences between our two countries make it interesting to exchange knowledge about the past, present and future of integrated solid waste management.
With their long experience in the field, the participants will certainly have plenty to say about the past and present.
And Brazil can learn from Dutch and European successes and failures.
And find its own successful approach.

First, it is essential to share relevant data about our two countries.
Brazil is developing fast, and there is a growing focus on waste management at both academic and political level. So information exchanges – among government organisations, universities and companies – will be illuminating for us both, now and in future.  

We are keen to share our knowledge of waste policies and technologies with Brazil.
In this way we can learn from one another and improve our performance.  

Because there is room for improvement in both the Netherlands and Brazil.
We should aim for more ambitious targets: good is not good enough.

The Netherlands’ performance in the field of waste management shows that this is feasible. With an innovative approach we can shift our parameters, decoupling economic growth from unchecked use of resources.
I look forward to a fascinating and productive seminar.
Thank you.