Identification requested more often at the recycling center to combat waste tourism

In 2021, 59 percent of municipalities had some form of access control at the recycling center. This now happens in 70 percent of municipalities, according to figures from the Dutch Association for Waste and Cleaning Services (NVRD).

Environmental pass

In 54 percent of the municipalities, visitors only have access to the recycling center with an (environmental) pass. In 16 percent of the municipalities you must be able to show proof of identity before you are allowed onto the site and another 5 percent work with random checks. In one in four municipalities there is no control over the use of the recycling center.

In 82 percent of cases, companies are not welcome at the recycling center. With access control, municipalities initially want to prevent companies from offering their waste ‘free’ and residents from paying for these costs through the waste levy. Municipalities can also arrange that certain types of waste can be handed in for free, while others must be paid for.

Waste tourism

But municipalities see that waste tourism takes place, especially in the first period after the introduction of access control: residents and companies then go to a nearby municipality to be able to hand in their waste for free or without inspection.

The NVRD therefore advocates access control in all municipalities. “If more municipalities work with a form of access control, you can prevent it from becoming attractive to go to another municipality. Because no one wants to pay for the waste from companies that have to offer their waste to private collectors,” says public affairs advisor Ralph Peters.