Amsterdammers already have a lot to deal with but now they will also have to take in weekly trainloads of the Italian capital’s garbage. Due to Rome’s insufficient capacity to burn its rubbish, the Dutch have offered to bring the waste to Amsterdam for incineration instead.
Starting from the beginning of April, there will be a weekly train running between Rome and Amsterdam to bring a casual 900 tons of rubbish to the Dutch capital for incineration, reports RTL Nieuws.
Why? You may ask. Well, believe it or not, it’s all in the name of environmentalism.
No incinerator? We’ve got one!
A big fire at Rome’s largest waste management facility has left the country’s waste management without an incinerator, making it insufficient. It will take at least until 2026 before the new facilities will be ready.
Until then, Amsterdam has decided that it will take in all of the pizza, pasta, and parmesan leftovers.
#Rome #Italy
— CHAUDHRY IMRAN ™💎 (@chimran55) July 2, 2019
A strike by trash collectors and a fire at a waste plant, Overflowing communal bins and uncollected junk covering sidewalks and marketplaces are an all-too-common sight in what is one of #Europe most #beautiful and populous #cities #PlasticPollution #tourist pic.twitter.com/jA2pqfXxnO
The Amsterdam Waste and Energy Company (AEB) and their Italian counterparts decided that the 1,700 kilometres journey from Rome to Amsterdam to burn the waste was the best solution for the residents of Rome and the environment.
Better to burn it than bury it
Believe it or not, research by CE Delft found that this deal is the best solution for the environment, without leaving the people of Rome surrounded by rubbish.
Transporting the garbage for incineration is better for the environment than dumping all of the waste at a landfill in Italy.
Echt? Ja. Dumping waste releases methane which is a very harmful greenhouse gas. You’re better off chucking it in the fire than letting it rot.
Although the researchers did also point out that there are more options to process the waste than just this solution…
READ MORE | The Netherlands and Sustainability: Suprisingly not that good…
A big Tikkie sent to the Italians
So why did we opt for this one? Well, this move will cost the Italians. Although we don’t know exactly how much because the AEB doesn’t want to say exactly, the Italian newspapers have given us an indication.
At €200 per ton of waste, the Dutch stand to earn up to €28 million over three years.
READ MORE | Living in Amsterdam: the ultimate guide to Amsterdam life
The deal also includes the condition that the energy created from incinerating the waste will be used towards heating some homes in Amsterdam. AEB already does this to heat more than 30,000 homes around Amsterdam.
So it’s not all about the geld guys!
A history of taking in rubbish
It isn’t the first time that the Netherlands is taking in waste from Italy.
In the year 2020 alone, 24 million tons of rubbish were imported to the Netherlands, which is about 30% of the total waste processed in the Netherlands. If we weren’t used to it before, it looks like we will have to get used to it now.
What do you think about the deal? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Amsterdam will earn €180.000 x week. It’s all about the money. Amsterdam chose to make the bid and won the tender.