WHAT IS ECOWERF?

27 municipalities and cities in East Brabant have transferred their waste management policy to the inter-municipal environmental company EcoWerf. EcoWerf exists as a commissioning association for a minimum period of at least 18 years (2003-2021).

With 4 core tasks, EcoWerf provides:

• waste prevention: stimulating families to produce less waste by promoting reuse and use of reusable goods, circular gardening • waste collection:
collects the household waste of 435,000 inhabitants from home;
manages 23 recycling parks;
manages 822 glass globes at 306 glass globe sites;
• waste processing:
processes 50,000 tons of organic waste in its composting plant up to 20,000 tons of compost every year;
ensures responsible recycling by specialized sorting companies;
• waste statement:
uses the DifTar system to achieve a fair distribution of costs, so that residents who sort well pay less;
makes invoicing clear and simple via the digital My EcoWerf counter.

MISSION AND MISSION

EcoWerf pursues a sustainable and integrated waste policy for and with its cities and municipalities, which innovates and thinks ahead in order to serve the interests of the cities and municipalities and their residents as well as possible.

• Her ambition: to be an absolute trendsetter in the field of waste management in Flanders.
• A long-term approach is paramount with investments in collection trucks, recycling parks and processing infrastructure for its entire operating area.
• EcoWerf does not intend to make a profit. More important is flexible services, the implementation of a sustainable waste and materials policy and limiting the environmental impact of the activities.

HISTORY

50 years of history

1965
Ten municipal authorities from the Leuven region set up the waste intermunicipal company InterLeuven. Its mission: to realize an integrated regional approach that is social and economic. This is done through the design of industrial and craft zones and social subdivisions.

1972
Interleuven starts as a waste processor. She sets up a crushing site that processes 16 tons of waste per hour. At this site, household waste and bulky waste are broken into smaller parts so that they take up less volume at the landfills.

1979
Interleuven starts with the door-to-door collection of household waste and bulky waste.

1981
The first selective collection is a fact: Interleuven collects glass through glass balls.

1986
The population and prosperity in the region are increasing, resulting in more household waste. The first container parks open. Residents can go there with different types of recyclable waste.

1989
Interleuven takes the landfill site in Pellenberg into use. It has a volume of 1 million m³.

1993
Interleuven starts with the selective door-to-door collection of paper-cardboard and kga.

The gas extraction installation at the Pellenberg landfill is started up. The extracted landfill gas drives 2 generators for the production of electricity.

1995
Interleuven is starting with the selective door-to-door collection of organic waste and pmd.

1996
The organic waste collections have proven to be a success, so Interleuven starts processing organic waste in its own composting plant in Wilsele.

The landfill site in Pellenberg will close permanently. The landfill is covered and enters the aftercare phase.

2001
To avoid odor nuisance, the post-ripening area of ​​the composting plant is covered.

2003
Establishment of a waste prevention team (awareness-raising projects, green line, drawing up waste calendars, organizing home composting demos ...)

On December 15, 2003, Interleuven is split up (decree of 6/7/2001 on inter-municipal cooperation) into 2 inter-municipal associations: Interleuven and EcoWerf. From now on, EcoWerf is responsible for the prevention, selective collection and processing of waste.

2005
EcoWerf applies differentiated rates (DifTar) for door-to-door collection of residual waste and organic waste in 5 municipalities and 3 container parks. As a result, the resident pays specifically for the amount of waste that he offers.

2006
Expansion of the DifTar system to 2 new container parks.

Start transhipment of sludge and sweep sludge (after a 2-year pilot project).

To further improve the service, 2 new positions are created: Head of Operations (coordination of executive services) and Safety, environment and quality

2007
Construction of a new transport site: depot for 60 collection trucks, washing area, repair area, compost storage hall and a storage area for containers.

2008
The 2nd phase of the DifTar collection starts (Bekkevoort, Boortmeerbeek, Haacht and Keerbergen).

2009
Expansion of DifTar to: door-to-door collection of household waste and organic waste in 6 municipalities (Bierbeek, Kortenberg, Linter, Rotselaar, Tremelo and Zoutleeuw) (3rd phase);

3 container parks (Glabbeek, Leuven and Linter). Leuven is the first to opt for the electronic identity card as the access card instead of a separate access badge.

The first steps for the Mobility project have been taken. The aim is to simplify the route planning and administration of the Transport Service.

2010
A pilot project is being carried out at 50 families in Bertem: EcoWerf collects the paper-cardboard in DifTar containers. The project receives a positive evaluation from the residents and OVAM.

Expansion of DifTar to the Scherpenheuvel-Zichem container park. Start-up of DifTar door-to-door in Geetbets (4th phase).

2011
Distribution of paper and cardboard containers to all residents of Bertem to prevent the waste from blowing away or getting wet and to save the back of the chargers.

End of the aftercare phase of the Pellenberg landfill.

The Mobility project has grown into a broad automation project, involving not only the Transport service, but also supporting administrative services. Each container and collection vehicle is equipped with a delivery computer, which digitizes collection routes and additional administrative data.

2012
The province of Flemish Brabant has issued EcoWerf with a new environmental permit for 20 years.

Expansion of the tours for schools and associations: not only in the receiving hoppers and composting plant, but also at the transport site.

Start of sale of prepackaged compost, also available in all DifTar container parks.

The former dump site in Pellenberg will become a nature reserve. Nature lovers can view the fauna and flora through a wooden viewing wall.

2013
Closure of container park in Messelbroek. Residents of Scherpenheuvel-Zichem can now visit the container park in Zichem. EcoWerf will then operate 25 container parks.

Replacement of 10 collection vehicles by new, more energy-efficient models with quiet, electric loading.

2014 
In June-July and September-October, all municipalities mow their roadsides and there is a need for extra storage space for green waste. EcoWerf is building a double silo to store 2,000 tons of cuttings. In January-February it is cleared and processed into compost.

2015 
EcoWerf is expanding its scope to Tienen, which requires efforts in the field of waste prevention, collection (40 extra rounds of collection and extra container park) and processing.

Expansion of the fleet with 18 collection vehicles, 5 container vehicles and 1 glass vehicle. All new vehicles are equipped with a Euro 6 engine. 12 older trucks are leaving service. 37% of the EcoWerf fleet complies with Euro 6 legislation with strict requirements regarding the emission of soot and nitrogen particles (NOx).

Start-up of a pilot project to collect waste across municipal boundaries in one day with one collection vehicle: organic waste in Linter and Zoutleeuw and mmd in Rotselaar and Kessel-Lo.

Expansion of DifTar for door-to-door collection of household waste and organic waste in Landen and Herent. 18 of the 27 municipalities now work according to the DifTar system.

2016
Expansion of the DifTar system for the door-to-door collection of household waste, organic waste and bulky waste in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Oud-Heverlee and Huldenberg.

Start-up of a pilot project in which EcoWerf transports household waste over water from Wilsele to Indaver in Doel for 6 weeks.

Residents can now use their hard and soft plastics at all EcoWerf container parks.

By recycling plastics instead of incinerating, EcoWerf emits 12% less CO2 per year. In absolute figures, this concerns 2,219 tons of CO2. Fewer new raw materials are needed to produce hard plastics again, which equates to a reduction of 7,500 tons of CO2 emissions.

From July, residents with hard and soft plastics can go to all container parks in the EcoWerf operating area. By recycling these plastics, EcoWerf emits 12% less CO2 during the incineration of the residual waste, or 2,219 tons of CO2 per year. In addition, fewer new raw materials are needed to produce hard plastics, which means an annual reduction of 7,500 tons of CO2 emissions.

2017
Final start of transport residual waste by water. On an annual basis, this saves 2,4000 truck trips in Flemish Brabant. Mobility is improving and EcoWerf's carbon footprint is shrinking.