This is despite fears that changes to the caluclation may lead to a dip in recycling rates in some countries.
Speaking in Brussels last week (25 May), Mr Georgeson, on behalf of the reprocessing sector trade body, called for clarity in determining where recycling is counted in proposed recycling targets which are currently being considered for adoption into EU law.
Changes are being considered as part of the Circular Economy package, adopted by the Commission in December 2015 (see letsrecycle.com story). Under the package, the recycling target which currently stands at 50% recycling by 2020 would rise to 65% by 2030.
Plans have also been put forward to ‘harmonise’ the calculation method used by Member States to measure their progress towards the municipal waste recycling target.
Speaking last week, Mr Georgeson said that due to the different calculation methods used by Member States, current comparison of recycling progress across the EU in the form of league tables is ‘worthless’.
At present, Member States are able to calculate their recycling rate using one of four methodologies set out by the Commission.
However, should the Circular Economy package pass into law, this could be narrowed down to a single calculation method, involving the amount of paper, metal, plastic, glass and ‘other single waste streams’ recycled from households.
Weight
Additionally, the Commission has proposed that “the weight of the municipal waste recycled shall be understood as the weight of the input waste entering the final recycling process” rather than simply calculating the volume of material collected overall.
Within its proposals the Commission explained that this relates to the point at which the waste requires no additional mechanical sorting to be processed into a product.
“Everyone knows that Ministers in all countries do not want to be the ones that preside over reducing recycling rates, which will be a short to medium term consequence of correct harmonised measurement at the point of final recycling.”
Ray Georgeson
Resource Association
In February, delegates from some of the EU’s top performing recycling nations warned that recycling rates could decline if these proposals are brought into effect (see letsrecycle.com story).
And, Mr Georgeson said that a ‘short-to-medium term’ spike in recycling rates should to be anticipated if the calculation method is changed by the Commission, but called for an ‘end to the confusion’ over the calculation.
Speaking at a stakeholder debate hosted by the Association on Wednesday 25 May in Brussels, Mr Georgeson, said: “The European Commission has a golden opportunity to finally end the confusion and discrepancies in the measurement of recycling across Europe. This should be done by settling on the recognition that the final point of recycling is the correct and fair point at which to measure recycling rates.”
‘Collection for recycling’
Mr Georgeson added that without setting the figure at the final point of recycling, the EU’s 65% goal could only be considered a ‘collection for recycling’ target.
He said: “Everyone knows that Ministers in all countries do not want to be the ones that preside over reducing recycling rates, which will be a short to medium term consequence of correct harmonised measurement at the point of final recycling.
“If in the final negotiations they really cannot cope with agreeing to this then at the very least, any headline recycling target of 65% (or whatever it becomes) should be properly described as what it is – a collection for recycling target, not a recycling target.
“This level of integrity would be an improvement on the nonsense we currently have, with an unbelievable and worthless European recycling league table where no two methods of measurement are exactly the same. It’s time to nail this one, once and for all – and do it with clarity and integrity.”
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