Unique collaborative initiative cuts waste collection journeys in Haarlem by 50%
Waste collectors, the Dutch Transport Operators Association and the Municipality of Haarlem have signed a declaration of intent to have industrial and commercial waste generated in the Dutch city collected by one single service. Vehicles belonging to a number of different waste collectors currently make up a lot of the traffic driving through the city but in June, any residual waste, along with paper and cardboard, will be collected by one neutral vehicle. The single vehicle waste collection trial, which has been given the name Green Collecting Haarlem, will significantly reduce the number of vehicle journeys made, which in turn will directly lead to a reduction in harmful emissions. There are also plans for electric vehicles to be used for the trial as soon as possible.
In the Netherlands, municipalities are responsible for the collection of household waste, but the market for industrial and commercial waste has been deregulated. Businesses are therefore free to select their own waste collector. As companies are increasingly obliged to separate more of the waste they produce, the number of vehicle journeys is only set to increase in the future. This prospect was enough to motivate the participants in the Green Collecting Haarlem initiative to work on a more sustainable solution.
Contractual agreements remain in place
Individual businesses located in the centre of the city of Haarlem will retain the contract they have with their own waste collector but the actual collection of waste will now be carried out by a ‘neutral’ vehicle. The trial will start in June, with businesses receiving all relevant information from their own waste collector in good time..
Three-fold benefits
The Municipality of Haarlem is a signatory to the Green Deal for Zero Emission City Logistics programme and has a reputation for its progressive sustainability policy. One significant aspect of this policy is the curbing of energy consumption and the prevention of harmful emissions, such as CO2, NOx and particulates. The objective is to make Haarlem a carbon-neutral city, and the Green Collecting Haarlem initiative is consistent with this aim. The participating parties officially signed the declaration of intent on Wednesday, 7 March. Cora-Yfke Sikkema, the alderman with responsibility for sustainability at the Municipality of Haarlem, is delighted with the initiative. “We are now the first municipality in the Netherlands in which industrial and commercial waste collectors are working together. Through this cooperation, fewer vehicles will enter the city centre, resulting in a reduction in carbon emissions and an increase in road safety. The benefits for the city are therefore three-fold.”.
Green Collecting Haarlem
Green Collecting Haarlem stemmed from the Green Deal for Zero Emission City Logistics programme, which has the objective of drastically reducing harmful emissions. Green Collecting Haarlem is a unique collaboration between GP Groot, Renewi, Spaarnelanden, SUEZ, the Dutch Transport Operators Association and the Municipality of Haarlem. It is the first time that waste collectors, a municipality and a trade association have worked together in such a way. The trial will last for six months and will involve the experimental collection of residual waste, paper and cardboard by vehicles operating under a ‘neutral flag’. The trial will provide a unique opportunity for the participants to explore more sustainable logistical solutions, working together with partners in the chain.