Last week, a possible measure was discussed on a Belgian TV-program called "De Tafel van Gert" regarding whether or not the government would be allowed to look inside garbage bags and check whether we sort our waste correctly.
Reactions were divided (31% were in favor, 61% against). A discussion ensued at the table, and the audience was also remarkably divided in their voting: some found this logical, while others primarily saw privacy risks.
I understand that concern. But perhaps we are not asking ourselves the right question? The question is not whether we want to control people. The question is how we, as a society, deal with a waste problem that costs us all money.
Best in class, yet...
Today, Flanders is among the European leaders in waste collection and recycling. Yet, we still produce approximately 125 kilograms of residual waste per inhabitant per year. That is roughly 860 million kilograms per year that is not reused as raw material but largely disappears into the incinerator. This is despite the fact that organic waste can be fermented into biogas, plastic packaging can be recycled into new raw materials, metals can be recycled almost without limit, and paper and cardboard can be reprocessed multiple times.
Many of those valuable materials currently simply end up in residual waste and increase costs for society. That is not only a missed opportunity for the environment, but also for our economy.
Even more important
In addition, there is an even more important aspect: safety. Batteries, gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, or nitrous oxide cylinders do not belong with residual waste. Yet, they regularly end up there, resulting in explosions, fires, damaged facilities, and dangerous situations for waste collectors and processing companies. These costs are also currently borne by society as a whole.
And we must be honest about this: anyone who systematically pollutes or disposes of hazardous materials incorrectly causes extra costs for everyone who sorts correctly. We take the principle that the biggest polluter pays more for granted in many other domains. Why should it be any different with waste?
Not about control
At the same time, I do not believe that the solution lies in more checks or more enforcement alone. Technology can play a much smarter role here. At Rematics, we are developing AI technology that analyzes waste streams during collection. Not to spy on people, but to create objective insights. Where do contaminations occur? Which waste streams are being disposed of incorrectly? Where are the safety risks?
In a pilot project involving an underground waste container, we observed how technology can positively influence behavior. Using smart cameras, non-conformities could be objectively identified. Residents were addressed regarding incorrect sorting behavior, after which the number of instances of contamination dropped drastically.
Not by punishing. But by creating insight. Because ultimately, most people *do* want to sort correctly. Often, there is simply a lack of awareness.
The future of waste management is therefore not about control. It is about data, objective insights, and targeted actions. Because the better we sort, the more valuable materials we can recover, the safer our waste chain becomes, and the lower the societal cost.
And that seems to me a discussion that is at least as important as the question of whether anyone should ever be allowed to look inside a garbage bag.
Bram Peetermans
CEO Rematics