As a company you are obliged to sort your waste. This is not new*. Just like at home, you have to provide different bins and waste containers in your company. However, the legislation is not quite the same as for household waste. For all sorting rules and frequently asked questions, please visit www.ovam.be/iksorteer.

* The sorting obligation for companies is laid down in Article 4.3.2 of the VLAREMA: the ‘Flemish Regulations for the sustainable management of material cycles and waste materials.

SORTING WASTE:YOUR OBLIGATIONS AS A COMPANY

WHY IS SORTING IMPORTANT? A lot of waste contains valuable materials. They can be recycled. This is better for the environment and of economic importance. After all, raw materials are scarce and are therefore becoming more expensive. By recycling, they remain available in the economy for longer.

In order to recycle, waste must first be sorted. Flanders makes a clear choice for ‘sorting at source’. This means that at home or in your company, you must immediately offer the waste correctly sorted for selective collection. This ensures a better quality of the materials. Recyclable waste that ends up incorrectly with residual waste can often no longer be recycled.

WHICH WASTE STREAMS SHOULD YOU SORT? You have to sort more or less the same waste streams as at home, but there are some differences. In total there are 21 waste streams that a company is obliged to keep separate today. Usually not all 21 occur in your company.

21 WASTE PRODUCTS ARE COVERED BY THE SORTING OBLIGATION AND MUST NEVER BE MIXED WITH RESIDUAL WASTE:

From 1 January 2021, new waste streams will be added to the sorting obligation for companies. For example, it will become compulsory to separate kitchen waste, leftovers and food waste. This obligation only applies to companies that have large quantities of such waste, including restau-rants and hotels that serve more than fifty hot meals a day.

NEW SORTING OBLIGATION FOR ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL FROM 2021 ONWARDS

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR WASTE? c In principle, as a company, you can call upon the services

of a private waste collector. This must be registered with OVAM. You can find all registered collectors for all waste on www.ovam.be/register_ihm. You can also enquire with your municipality or intermunicipal waste company if they have a specific service for companies.

c If your company has waste that is comparable with household waste in terms of ‘nature, composition and quantity’, your municipality may also accept this commercial waste via the door-to-door household round or at the regular recycling facility. This may involve, for example, a limited quantity of paper and cardboard or an occasional PMD bag. There is a specific limit for residual waste: a maximum of three 60-litre residual waste bags or one 22.5 kg container per fortnightly collection.

THE CONTRACT OBLIGATION If you use a commercial waste collector, you must, according to the legislation, explicitly conclude a contract in two cases:

1.

2.

A contract is compulsory if you have residual waste collec-ted. The collector must inform you about the sorting obli- gation and the contract must state how you will sort the 21 obligatory waste streams. These streams may certainly not be included in the residual waste.

A contract is also compulsory if you have several obligatory waste fractions collected together in one container (e.g. pa-per and cardboard together with wood). This is only allowed if it concerns non-hazardous dry fractions that do not pollute each other. In that case, too, there must be a contract between you and your collector, which very clearly indicates the precise dry waste streams involved. The waste streams must then be completely sorted out afterwards by the collec-tor and recycled. It is therefore not a question of having a container of residual waste in which you deposit every-thing. That is not allowed!

These contract obligations apply both to yourself and to the collector.

WHAT IF YOU DO NOT SORT YOUR WASTE? Sorting waste at source is an obligation. If you do not sort, you are in breach of environmental legislation. During an inspection, your company can therefore receive a reminder or an official report. This can result in fines.

HOW TO GET STARTED? Those who have little waste need little sorting and need less space for different bins and containers. That is why we advise you to start with waste prevention.

The waste you do have must therefore be collected selectively. In certain cases, you can receive premiums for sorting. If you sort commercially recyclable packaging material (cardboard waste, wood, films, etc.) you can contact Valipac for premiums. See if you are eligible for a premium at www.valipac.be. Valipac provides four types of premiums:

^ A one-off starter premium for those starting to sort

^ A container premium to compensate for part of the rental of additional containers

^ A recycling premium for sorted wood and plastic packaging materials

^ A bag premium if you purchase special bags for sorting small quantities of films, EPS and lashing straps.

Fost Plus also provides a starter premium for the collection of PMD. Information about this can be found at www.fostplus.be.

You can also visit the following websites for useful information about sorting for companies.

c www.ovam.be/iksorteer. See in particular the frequently asked questions and answers for all sorting obligations.

c www.iksorteerinmijnbedrijf.be from Valipac for general sorting information.

c Need help collecting PMD in your company? You can find useful tips and free communication material at ‘the sorting shop’ of Fost Plus: www.desorteerwinkel.be. You can also take a look at www.iksorteerinmijnbedrijf.be/afval/pmd/

c www.cirkeltips.be. Here you can get tips tailored to your own waste profile as a company. Also use the forum to ask questions.

V.U.: OVAM, Stationsstraat 110, 2800 Mechelen/2020

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?e-mail iksorteer@ovam.be

MORE INFO?OVAM - Stationsstraat 110 - 2800 Mechelen

According to environmental legislation, your collector is not allowed to take your residual waste if it still contains waste that falls under the sorting obligation. Your collector may also be subject to checks and fines.

From 2020, collectors will have to check the residual waste container at companies and draw your attention to incorrectly sorted waste. The collector will also be obliged to keep a register of sorting errors. He can also leave your container in place and/or pass costs on to you if your residual waste still has to be sorted.