The lack of progress towards targets was highlighted in a European Commission report to the European parliament. Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia were the only countries on track to hit a 55% recycling rate by 2025.
In response, FEAD said it “pledges the commitment” of the management industry to enhancing recycling targets, but said more work is needed to maximise investment.
The association said: “The waste management industry is ready to cooperate with national and local authorities and make all necessary investments to enhance recycling rates, but a robust legislative framework that creates a stable market for recycled materials is essential.
“The publication also provides a preliminary assessment on the target of reducing landfilling of municipal waste to below 10% by 2035. With eight countries exceeding 50% rates, FEAD stresses the urgency to deploy all available municipal waste treatment technologies with the needed capacities.”
Report
The European Commission’s report highlighted the progress made by countries to achieve recycling targets, which which also includes a 65% target for all packaging by 2025.
A further 10 countries are set to miss both the municipal and packaging targets, while eight countries are still landfilling in excess of 50% of their municipal waste.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are all set to miss both targets.
Register for free to comment