Letter in response to sustainability initiative of waste collectors stimulating recycling

ACM is positive about the sustainability initiative of collectors of commercial waste to collaborate to promote waste-recycling.

What do the arrangements entail?

Several (competing) collectors of commercial waste wish to agree among themselves to always offer new corporate clients a contract for at least two sorted waste streams, such as food and yard waste, organic waste, foil, and paper/cardboard. These contracts are for businesses that deliver at least 240 liters of commercial waste per week. (Almost) all businesses that deliver waste (disposers of waste) are subject to a statutory waste-separation obligation. The initiative additionally offers disposers of waste an extra incentive to separate their waste, and to develop an awareness for sustainable waste management.

What is ACM’s opinion?

This initiative marks the first time that ACM has applied the policy rule “ACM’s oversight of sustainability agreements”. ACM has positively assessed the plan. This initiative is consistent with the statutory waste-separation obligation applicable to (almost) all disposers of waste. ACM will not take action against agreements that solely aim at compliance with a statutory sustainability requirement, such as the duty to separate waste. The group of disposers that is not statutorily obliged to separate waste is so small that a possible restriction on competition that might be associated with the initiative for this (limited) group of customers would have a negligible impact on the Dutch market. ACM is therefore not investigating this further.

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