Commission spells out future waste policy direction

Economic incentives to stimulate demand for recyclables and setting minimum recycled content targets are among a list of measures unveiled by the European Commission today (September 20) to ensure waste is managed as a resource by 2020.

The commitments are made in a Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, which defines medium and long-term Europe-wide objectives on resource efficiency, and how the Commission plans to achieve them.

In the document, the Commission calls for higher priority be given to reuse and recycling in order to ensure that, by 2020, all waste is managed as a resource that can then be fed back into the economy as a raw material.

As part of this, it makes a number of commitments, including:

• By 2013/14, stimulating the secondary materials market and demand for recyclables through economic incentives and developing end-of-waste criteria;
• Reviewing existing targets for prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery and landfill diversion targets in 2014, to move towards an economy based on reuse and recycling;
• In 2012, to consider the introduction of minimum recycled material rates, reusability criteria and extended producer responsibility for key products;
• In 2013/14, to explore the potential to align legislation on various waste streams to improve coherence;
• Continue both EU-wide and international work to eradicate illegal waste shipments;
• Making sure, in 2012/13, that public funding from the EU budget prioritises activities higher up the newly statutory waste hierarchy;
• And, facilitating the exchange of best practice on waste between EU member states and to take steps, in 2013/14, to combat more effectively breaches of EU waste rules.

The statement on reviewing targets confirms the Commissions earlier plans to review targets for packaging waste recycling and the goals set in the Waste Framework Directive in 2014, as well as indicating legislation such as the Landfill Directive could also be reviewed.

Meanwhile, the work expected next year on minimum recycled material rates suggest moves to increase the recycled content of new products, with product design also highlighted as an area the Commission plans to target.

The Commission claims that, together, its policies will help to create a full recycling economy, explaining that, improving waste management can also open up new markets and jobs. It would also reduce dependence on raw material imports and environmental impacts, it adds.

Goals

For this to be achieved, the Commission outlines several goals that must be met by 2020. These include, all waste being managed a resource, waste generation being in absolute decline And waste legislation being fully implemented.

It also aims for:

• Recycling and reuse of waste to be economically attractive options for both public and private sectors due to widespread separate collection and the development of functional markets for secondary raw materials;
• More materials, including critical raw materials and those with a significant environmental impact, being recycling;
• Illegal shipments of waste being eradicated;
• Energy recovery limited to non-recyclables, landfilling being virtually eliminated and high quality recycling being ensured.

Commenting on the roadmap, European environment commissioner Janez Potocnik said: Green growth is the only sustainable future for Europe and the world. Industry and environment need to work hand in hand in the long term our interests are the same.

Following the publication of the roadmap, the Commission now plans to prepare appropriate policy and legislative measures to implement it. It also said member states would need to act at their own level, bringing new efficiency measures to businesses and consumers.

Reaction

Initial reaction to the publication of the Roadmap came from the Environmental Services Association, which represents waste management companies in the UK.

ESA director of policy, Matthew Farrow, said: ESA welcomes the publication today of the European Commissions Roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe. The roadmap highlights the need for businesses and consumers to use resources sustainably and recognizes that reducing waste, and turning the waste that remains into a resource, is absolutely central to this. This is what our members are doing day in and day out.

ESA has long championed the role that the waste sector can play in delivering green growth and we are pleased that Environment Commissioner Janez Potonik recognizes that Green growth is the only sustainable future. ESA particularly welcomes the Commissions proposal to bring together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss future action on resource efficiency, including how to measure progress, and set targets. It is vitally important that the waste and resource management sector is fully engaged in those discussions.

The CBI business lobbying organisation also welcomed the Roadmap -but warned that an impact assessment was crucial to ensure thatthe competitiveness of EU businesses was maintained.

Rhian Kelly, CBI director for business environment policy, said: A competitive, sustainable and low-carbon economy relies on effective resource management and politicians should evaluate the role of public policy in this area.

But any proposals must be subject to a full impact assessment to ensure we balance sustainability with improving EU competiveness and securing critical resource supply.