CIWM: Recycling targets ‘blunt instrument’

Responding to the European Commission’s calls for ‘efficient’ suggestions to its circular economy package, CIWM added councils were no longer in a position to bear the burden of waste and recycling collection costs.

In its response to the 12-week consultation, CIWM argued EU officials should be under ‘no illusions’ of local authorities’ ability to shoulder extra responsibility for waste.

It continued that measuring recycling via targets failed to influence the deeper set issues of high consumption levels and unsustainable behaviour. The current weight-based approach to recycling targets was problematic, it said, as it does not differentiate between materials with different resource and environmental impacts.

Residual

The response states: “For this reason, CIWM would recommend that the Commission assesses the potential for a residual waste target that shifts the focus towards overall consumption and waste generation.

“If this type of target was coupled with stronger Producer Responsibility framework, municipal authorities could focus primarily on managing the residual waste stream while producers would have a greater incentive to access the materials in the household waste stream through take back schemes, funding collection by municipal authority etc.”

CIWM’s suggestions came as councils continue to struggle to meet the 50% household waste recycling rate set for 2020. Nevertheless, an even higher 70% rate could be set for 2030 under the Commission’s new package.

WRAP

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) also issued its recommendations to the Commission, calling for EU-wide action on food waste, greater use of Resource Efficient Business Models, and ‘whole-systems thinking’.

WRAP singles out food waste as a ‘priority material’ for all member states to measure, prevent, reuse and recycle.

It mirrors similar consultation responses from the Resource Association and the Renewable Energy Association (REA) for separate biowaste collections, with the latter suggesting they should be mandatory (see letsrecycle.com story).

The EU Commission is to assess the responses to the consultation, which closed on August 20, before laying out the policy options later in the autumn.