Consultation on EU waste targets opens

The European Commission has launched its much-anticipated consultation on the future of Europes legally binding waste and recycling targets.

Among the measures stakeholders are being asked to comment on are caps on the amount of waste that can be sent for incineration and the introduction of targets for new waste streams such as wood, food waste and textiles.

Headed by UK-based waste consultancy Eunomia (see letsrecycle.com story), the consultation, which began yesterday (June 3) is set to run until September 10 2013. The consultation will seek views on whether there is a need to change the targets in line with the Commissions aspirations outlined in the Resource Efficiency Roadmap, published in 2011.

Responses are being sought from industry, not for profit or academic organisations, public authority representatives and members of the public. The consultation asks respondents on the targets set out in the Waste Framework, Landfill and Packaging and Packaging Waste Directives.

Stakeholders are asked their views on future recycling targets for household and commercial waste, with options between 50% and 90% as well as individual recycling targets for packaging waste. The questionnaire also asks whether there should be a maximum level of incineration for different waste streams between 10% and 55%.

Targets

Respondents are also being asked to comment on whether individual targets should be set for material streams such as wood, food waste or textiles and whether reporting methods should be standardised, so that all Member States calculate performance in the same way.

Meanwhile, views are also sought on whether certain materials should be weighted, to encourage more recycling of waste streams for which there is a greater environmental benefit in recycling and whether a target for the prevention of packaging waste should be introduced.

The review has been triggered by clauses in each of the Directives stating that they must be subject to regular evaluation, with the European Commission keen to ensure that they contribute to reducing waste, maximising recycling rates and decreasing landfill use.

Currently under the Waste Framework Directive, Member States are required to recycle or reuse 50% of household waste by 2020. The Landfill Directive sets targets for Member States to progressively reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) being sent for disposal in landfill up to 2016.

Packaging

And, targets set out under the Packaging and Packaging Waste have required Member States to recover 60% of all packaging waste since 2008.

The consultation forms the first part of the review, from which Eunomia will establish a number of preferred options which will be subject to detailed analysis, due to be completed in spring 2014.

The review is being delivered under Eunomia’s contract with the Commission on Technological, Socio-Economic and Cost-Benefit Assessments Related to the Implementation and Further Development of EU Waste Legislation.

The firm is conducting the research with support from the German research body ko-Institut, the Copenhagen Resource Institute and environmental statistics firm ARGUS.
Stakeholders can register on the European Commissions dedicated Waste Target Review website to take part in the consultation.