Published Material

2.7 Consumer and Production Pattern

  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Treatment of Sewage
  • Local Status of Vehicle Fleet
  • On Index

Waste Management and Disposal

In 2015 a Regional plan on waste management in the North of Iceland 2015-2026 was made.

The regional plan applies to all municipalities in the Sustainability project's monitored area. Until 2014 the municipalities Norðurþing,  Skútustaðahreppur, Þingeyjarsveit and Tjörneshreppur had a common waste collection cooperative. The cooperative was responsible for planning waste collection in the area in collaboration with Gámaþjónusta Norðurlands (a container service) and others. In 2006-2013 a waste incinerator was operated in Húsavík. The waste collection cooperative also ran a sorting and baling station for waste from homes and operations along with a reception for hazardous waste. After the waste incineration was stopped in 2013, waste from homes and operations was driven to a landfill in Stekkjarvík by Blönduós. Recyclable and hazardous waste was sent to Akureyri for further sorting. At the end of 2014 the collaboration on waste management in Þingeyrjarsýsla municipalities stopped and the waste management went to each municipality in the area. (More information in the Regional plan). 

Because of the way waste management was and the changes in the municipalities collaboration at the time of monitoring, it has proven difficult to get numeric information on waste and its trajectory. Below are all the information collected. 

 2.7 a. The Amount of Waste

The figure shows the total amount of waste in the municipalities of Norðurþing, Skútustaðahreppur and Þingeyjarsveit.

Information for 2014 and 2015 is missing for Norðurþing, 2011-2016 for Þingeyjarsveit, and 2011-2016 for Skútustaðahreppur.

The numbers for Norðurþing apply to Húsavík and Reykjahverfi.

Data and processing.

Meðferð úrgangs og förgun: 2.7 b. Magn sorps á íbúa

2.7 b. Magn sorps á íbúa

This graph shows the amount of waste pr. pers. in Norðurþing and Þingeyjarsveit and Reykjahverfi.

New arrangement for waste management came into effect in 2015.

Meðferð úrgangs og förgun: 2.7 c. Sorp eftir flokkum

2.7 c. Sorp eftir flokkum

The figure shows the total amount of waste by categories in the municipalities of Norðurþing, Skútustaðahreppur, and Þingeyjarsveit.

Information for 2014 and 2015 is missing for Norðurþing, 2011-2016 for Skútustaðahreppur, and Þingeyjarsveit.

The numbers for Norðurþing apply to Húsavík and Reykjahverfi.

Meðferð úrgangs og förgun: 2.7 d. Sorp pr. íbúa eftir flokkum

2.7 d. Magn sorps á íbúa eftir flokkum

The figure shows the amount of waste per inhabitant in the Central Area by the categories in which waste is sorted.

The data of the indicator only applies to Norðurþing and Þingeyjarsveit so far. Data for Þingeyjarsveit go back to 2016 and Norðurþing back to 2011. Data collection is being carried out for Skútustaðahreppur.

Until 2014, all waste from the area was transported to a landfill. 

Treatment of Sewage

According to regulation no. 789/1999, local board of health attends to sewerage and sewage as well as monitoring sewerage. 

Results of samples taken in August 2021.

 

"Sjósýni við GPG" is a sample from the ocean taken at the same location as sample 11 on the map below.

"Búðar við ós" is a sample taken at the same place as sample 12 on the map below.

  

Table The table below shows the locations of sampling sites and the number of fecal coliforms in 100 ml. Sampling took place in 2014.

Environmental limits 

 

*E-coli can in 10% of incidents go up to 43 bacterium pr. 100 ml. (43/100 ml)

Local Status of Vehicle Fleet

2.7 f. Meðal útblástursgildi bifreiða (CO2)

The emissions value of vehicles is provided in CO2. There is a considerable number of cars in the vehicle registry where the emissions value is not registered. This applies to cars from before 2001.

In 2024, 2380 vehicles out of 4315 were registered with emissions values or % of vehicles.

In 2023,  2418 vehicles out of 4190 were registered with emissions values or % of vehicles.

In 2022, 2291 vehicles out of 4156 were registered with emissions values or 53% of vehicles.

In 2021, 2256 vehicles out of 4021  were registered with emissions values or 53% of vehicles.

In 2020, 2175 vehicles out of 4081  were registered with emissions values or 53% of vehicles.

In 2019, 2057 vehicles out of 4006  were registered with emissions values or 51% of vehicles.

In 2018, 1701 vehicles out of 3796 were registered with emissions values or 48% of vehicles.

In 2017, 1722 vehicles out of 3691 were registered with emissions values or 47% of vehicles.

  

Original data and processing

2.7 c. Fuel Efficiency - Local Status of Vehicle Fleet

2.7 g. Eyðslugildi (l/100 km) 

The fuel efficiency is shown in l/100 km per combined mileage.

In 2017 relatively few vehicles were registered with information on fuel efficiency in the vehicle registry or only 357 vehicles out of 3691 in the central area.

In 2018 they rose up to 1745 out of 3796 and in 2019 they were 1922 out of 4006. 

In 2020, 2009 vehicles were registered with information on fuel efficiency out of 4081 in the central area.

In 2021, 2034 vehicles were registered with information on fuel efficiency out of 4021 in the central area. 

In 2022, 2119 vehicles were registered with information on fuel efficiency out of 4156 in the area. 

Svæðisbundin staða bílaflota: 2.7 h. Orkugjafi bifreiða á Miðsvæði

2.7 h. Orkugjafi bifreiða 

The figure shows the development of the type of energy source for cars in the central area compared to Iceland.

The proportion of petrol cars is declining both in the central area and Iceland. The share of diesel cars is rising both in the central area and Iceland.

The proportion of vehicles that use only electricity as an energy source, as well as plug-in hybrid vehicles, is increasing both in the central area and throughout the country. The proportion is 7,12 % in the central area but has reached 19,99 % in the whole country.

On Index

It is important that waste management causes as little undesirable environmental impact as possible.

The sea's ecosystem by the coast of Iceland is unique and diverse. Sewerage from residential areas and operations can impact the marine life and it is therefore important to manage sewage in a way that the environmental impact of the sewage system is as small as possible.

It is interesting to monitor the vehicle fleet and whether or not it follows the development of the country as a whole in that vehicles running on fossil fuels decrease proportionally. It is also interesting to monitor whether fuel efficiency goes up and emissions value down. 

The amount of waste and its trajectory, the total amount of waste per capita (in certain categories like recycling, destroying (landfills or incineration) and organic) will be published in this index.

Information will be published on fecal pollution in surface water because of sewerage, the amount of heat-resistant coliform, e-coli bacteria or enterococcus that should in 90% of cases be less than 1000 per 100 ml in at least 10 samples.  Where food industry is close by the number of bacteria and coccus should be under 100 per 100 ml. in at least 10 samples. 

Information on the number of vehicles, age of vehicles, fuel efficiency, fuel type and emissions value will be published. 

Frequency

Yearly.

Area

Central area.

Accountability

The project manager is responsible for acquiring the data and publishing it according to the publishing schedule.

Source Material 

Data will be collected from municipalities in the central area, the Public Health Authority in North East Iceland, The Environment Agency of Iceland and the Icelandic Transport Authority.