30 years AWB

Meppen. The waste management company (AWB) for the district of Emsland was founded as a municipal company with effect from July 1, 1996. The resolutions to this effect were passed by the district committee and the district council at the end of 1995. “With the establishment of the company, waste management in the district of Emsland was completely realigned. Since then, it has been managed in a business-oriented and economical manner,” explained District Administrator Marc-André Burgdorf during a press conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the AWB.

Since October 2020, the AWB has had its new headquarters in Kreishaus III, where the AWB hosted its event. Due to the coronavirus, the anniversary could only be celebrated on a smaller scale. In addition to a brochure published especially for the anniversary, which contains general information about the AWB as well as interesting facts about correct waste separation, the development of the AWB was illustrated to all those present using a “timeline”.

Numerous measures can be seen here: While ten building rubble landfills and two central landfills were still in operation when the waste management company was founded, with annual landfill volumes of over 300,000 tons, today only the Dörpen central landfill is still in operation, depositing around 30,000 tons of mineral waste annually. All construction waste landfills as well as the central landfills Venneberg, Flechum, Wesuwe and Dörpen (except for the section currently in operation) have been recultivated and released by the authorities for so-called aftercare.

The era of waste separation and recycling began just a few years before the company was founded. Recycling centers were introduced in the district, the separate collection of green waste, the organic waste garbage can in the northern part of the district and the nationwide separate collection of sales packaging were added. In the meantime, the public waste paper containers have been replaced by waste paper garbage cans in every household, the separate collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment has been introduced and the mobile collection of hazardous waste has been established.

“The only real disposal of waste in Emsland today takes place at the Dörpen landfill site. Non-recyclable waste or waste that has to be removed from the economic cycle due to its contaminant or pollutant content is disposed of there,” explains Heinz Bökers, Operations Manager of the AWB. “All other waste is recycled and thus contributes to resource and climate protection,” Bökers continues. This even applies to the residual waste in the grey garbage can, which releases energy when incinerated in the SRS EcoTherm Salzbergen. “By using process steam from waste incineration in the neighboring Salzbergen refinery, the use of fossil fuels such as crude oil is avoided,” explains Bökers.

However, not only the balance sheet, but also the outlook was on the agenda at the event. From January 2022, the introduction of the recycling garbage can will herald the end of the “yellow bag”, announced Burgdorf. In addition to the packaging waste that is currently collected in the yellow bag, the recycling garbage can will then also be able to dispose of so-called non-packaging of the same material – essentially metal and, above all, plastic waste that currently ends up in the residual waste garbage can.

“Waste should be avoided wherever possible. For waste that is nevertheless produced, correct waste separation in the household is of fundamental importance for subsequent recycling. Informing citizens is therefore particularly important. For this reason, it is being intensified and modernized,” Bökers makes clear. The brochure published to mark the anniversary is therefore designed as a digital waste brochure, which you can download here: Anniversary brochure – 25 years of AWB

“At the same time as the 25th anniversary, we also want to start providing waste advice via social media in order to provide citizens with information in this way,” says Burgdorf, taking the press conference as an opportunity to put the first “post” online.