Though they’re currently banned in the UK, pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) schemes where people pay for how much they use, following the ‘polluter pays’ principle, are popular on the Continent. Jennifer McDowall takes a trip around Europe to find out what we can learn from PAYT practitioners.
Flanders, Belgium
"There was a lot of pressure, both environmental and spatial, to find other solutions for our waste"
Flanders, the northern, Flemish-speaking region of Belgium and pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) devotee, has been hailed by some as the vanguard of waste management, achieving the highest diversion rate for household waste in Europe. Before the implementation of the first Flemish Waste decree in 1981, however, all Flemish authorities had their own landfill sites.
A lack of space, a large population, the environmental challenges associated with landfill sites and ‘NIMBYism’ were some of the reasons for the introduction of waste management schemes such as PAYT, according to Jan Verheyen of OVAM, the region’s public waste agency: “If you have a population of 400 or 500 inhabitants per square kilometre like in Flanders, that means almost everyone lives or works in the vicinity of an incineration plant or an old landfill site, and nobody likes that. That’s why there was a lot of pressure, both environmental and spatial, to find other solutions for our waste.”
Tallinn, Estonia
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.