From residual waste to energy and raw materials

Every second we throw away the equivalent of three grey mini waste containers in the Netherlands. That adds up to millions and millions of tonnes of waste. However, throwing it away is not the same as discarding it all together. In the Netherlands, the larger part of this waste is reused as a source of energy and a source of raw materials.

Attero processes approximately 1.8 million tonnes of residual waste every year. We recover plastics, metal and beverage cartons from this waste through post-collection separation. In our waste-to-energy plants we produce green gas, renewable electricity and sustainable heat from waste. This energy and the recovered raw materials are replacements for fossil fuels and primary raw materials, which benefits our living environment. After wind power, all waste-to-energy plants in our country make the largest contribution to the amount of sustainably produced energy.

Our plants in Wijster and Moerdijk are both unique, and from an environmental and technical point of view they are among the best in the world. Attero's largest plant is located in Moerdijk. This plant switches flexibly between the production of renewable electricity and sustainable heat for the industry and future heat grids. At our Wijster site, we produce both raw materials and energy from waste. Post-collection separation and anaerobic digestion result in green gas and plastics, metal and beverage cartons. In Wijster, Attero also produces renewable electricity and heat. We supply our heat to companies including those in our Energy Transition Park.

The ashes that remain after incineration are reprocessed into secondary construction materials, thereby preventing the mining of sand and gravel.

European market

Residual waste processing is an European market. The Netherlands exports about as much waste as it imports. We also process waste from other European countries and turn it into renewable energy. This waste would end up on a landfill in those other countries, which would lead to significant greenhouse gas emissions. In Europe, for example, almost a quarter of all household waste is still landfilled. By turning waste into renewable energy, we prevent our country from becoming even more dependent on energy imports and help combat climate change.