A short summary of waste treatment in 2020 and a comparison with 2019.
1 . Waste by sites: Quantity, sorting and recycling rate.
The sorting rate increased from 53% in 2019 to 69% in 2020.
The recycling rate of waste increased from 46% in 2019 to 59% in 2020.
Great progress was made in 2019 regarding sorting and increased recycling rates, and this development will continue vigorously in 2020.
2. Amount of waste by category, recycling rate and cost.
Let´s examine the tables above.
CO₂ / kg: General household waste (from labor camps) and coarse waste generally cause the greatest carbon emissions together with painted / plastic-coated timber, but these categories are not recycled.
Amount in 2020 compared to 2019: Unsorted waste is significantly reducing. However, general household waste is increasing.
It is a challenge to further improve our sorting to reduce waste that goes into unclassified. For example we need to better analyse general household waste (waste from labor camps).
Cost: The cost of disposing waste varies by category. Unclassified waste is the most expensive to dispose of and although it accounts for only 32% of total waste, it amounts to 74% of the total cost of disposal. Improved waste sorting results in lower average costs per kg. waste. Average disposal cost per kg. waste is thus 27% lower in 2020 than it was in 2019.
(Notice. that cost figures are only costs for waste disposal. Container rental and waste transportation are not included in these figures.)
2. Price changes and waist reduction.
At the beginning of the year, enormous changes took place in Sorpa’s tariff for waste reception. In the column on the far right of the table above, you can see the new price in 2021 and what the change is in percentage points from the tariff for the year 2020.
E.g. The fee for pure timber was raised by 153%. This is the category at ÞG Verk that had the most waste in the last year.
It is therefore a challenge, in addition to improving waste sorting, to examine whether it is possible to reduce waste in as many categories as possible, and especially in categories with high carbon emissions and a high disposal fee.
It will be one of the challenges of the year.
Bergur Helgason Quality and Safety Manager (and a hobby specialist in waste sorting).