State expects waste disposal fees to rise in the coming year
People in Baden-Württemberg will probably have to prepare themselves for higher waste disposal fees in the coming year. Due to significantly higher personnel costs and energy prices, "it can be assumed that the increase in fees will be higher than in previous years", said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Environment.
A four-person household would have to expect average costs of 180.21 euros per year for waste disposal in 2023, it said at the presentation of the waste balance sheet for 2022. Last year, the figure was still 173.71 euros. However, at 3.7 percent, the increase was well below the rate of inflation.
The Ministry of the Environment cites various reasons for the further increase in fees. For example, the personnel and energy costs of waste management companies have risen, while the prices for the sale of recyclable materials such as paper, plastic and metal have fallen. There is also a great need for investment, for example for the expansion and upgrading of recycling plants or for new waste collection vehicles. The switch to electromobility is particularly expensive. Battery-powered vehicles would cost around twice as much as those with diesel engines.
The waste disposal industry itself does not believe that waste fees will rise significantly everywhere. "There is no compelling reason to increase waste fees across the board in Baden-Württemberg," said Eric Rehbock, Managing Director of the German Association for Secondary Raw Materials and Waste Disposal. However, increases could be necessary in individual cases because rising wage and energy costs are also expected in the coming year.
The association is more optimistic about the sales prices for raw materials. "We assume that the markets will recover and that we may even be able to expect rising revenues from the sale of secondary raw materials such as waste paper next year," said Rehbock.
Consumers in Baden-Württemberg might need to adjust their budgets due to the anticipated rise in waste disposal fees, influenced by elevated personnel and energy costs. Due to the drop in prices for recyclable materials like paper, plastic, and metal, consumers may also see an increase in the cost of certain products as a result of the waste disposal fee hike.
Source: www.dpa.com
