European Union recycling regulations

Important EU recycling regulations

According to European Union data, in Europe, each person uses 16 tons of material per year, of which 6 tons becomes waste. The EU is struggling with this issue and allocates important resources to improve the waste management program and regulations. However, the economy still loses an important amount of potential raw material such as metal, wood, paper, and plastic, which end up as waste.

Waste affects all of us because we all produce waste at home, at work, and on holidays. On average, each of the 500 million people living in EU countries throws away around half a tonne of household rubbish every year. Altogether, the European Union produces up to 3 billion tons of waste annually.

All this waste has a huge impact on the environment, causing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, as well as significant losses of materials—especially problematic for the EU, which depends on imported raw materials. The amount of waste is increasing, and its composition is changing due to the rise of hi-tech products. Waste now contains an increasingly complex mix of materials, including plastics, precious metals, and hazardous materials that are difficult to handle safely.

EU waste management policies aim to reduce the environmental and health impacts of waste and improve resource efficiency. The long-term goal is to turn Europe into a recycling society, avoiding improper waste disposal and using unavoidable waste as a resource wherever possible. The aim is to achieve much higher levels of recycling and to minimize the extraction of additional natural resources.

In 2010, EU total waste production exceeded 2.5 billion tons, with only 36% recycled. Around 600 million tonnes could have been recycled or re-used. On average, each person in Europe currently produces half a tonne of waste, of which only 40% is reused or recycled, while in some countries, 80% still goes directly to landfills. For more information, you can check here.

The EU aims to turn waste into a resource that supports a circular economy. Some major drives of the EU are:

• Improving waste management
• Stimulating innovation in recycling
• Limiting the use of landfilling
• Creating incentives to change consumer behavior

Learning how to re-manufacture, reuse, and recycle, and how one industry's waste becomes another's raw material, leads to a circular economy where waste is eliminated and resources are used efficiently and sustainably.

Waste legislation

The Waste Framework Directive, revised in 2008, streamlines waste legislation, incorporating rules on hazardous waste and waste oils. Additional EU waste legislation includes:

• The Regulation on waste shipments
• The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
• The EU’s Landfill Directive
• The Waste Incineration Directive
• The End-of-Life Vehicles Directive
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
• The Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances
• The Batteries Directive

A life-cycle approach

All products and services have environmental impacts, from raw material extraction to disposal. Life-cycle thinking looks at all stages of a product’s life to find ways to reduce environmental impacts and resource use. The goal is to avoid shifting negative impacts from one stage to another.

The new Waste Framework Directive has introduced life-cycle thinking into waste policies, ensuring that actions taken have an overall benefit compared to other options. It also ensures that waste management actions are compatible with other environmental initiatives.

Landfill facts

Landfills are the oldest form of waste treatment and the least desirable due to their adverse impacts, such as methane emissions—a potent greenhouse gas. The EU Landfill Directive requires Member States to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste in landfills to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016. This will significantly reduce methane emissions.

EU legislation on landfills has led to the closure of sub-standard sites and a reduction in municipal waste sent to landfills. However, many Member States still rely heavily on landfilling. The challenge is to shift towards recycling and recovery options.

Energy recovery

Modern waste incineration plants can produce electricity, steam, and heating. However, the incomplete burning of waste materials can release hazardous chemicals. The EU has set environmental standards to minimize these risks and ensure that energy recovery from incineration is maximized.

Incineration is not always the most efficient way to manage used materials, particularly those that are difficult to burn. EU Member States are encouraged to weigh the environmental benefits and drawbacks of incineration using life-cycle thinking.

Getting the best out of bio-waste

Bio-waste, such as garden, kitchen, and food waste, accounts for about one-third of household waste. It holds significant promise as a renewable energy source and can be turned into compost. The EU aims to increase the use of bio-waste for renewable energy and composting.

Recycling

Recycling reduces waste sent to landfills and provides EU industries with essential materials recovered from waste. The EU has set recycling targets for various types of waste, including vehicles, electronic equipment, batteries, and packaging.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) makes producers financially responsible for waste created by their products. This incentivizes the development of products that minimize waste and are more easily recycled.

Producer's responsibility

EPR encourages producers to consider the full life cycle of their goods. The ‘Green Dot’ system, for example, requires producers to pay for the collection and recycling of their products' waste.

10 tips on how to be less wasteful

Think before you buy!

1. Is the product recycled or recyclable? This reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing new products.
2. Avoid packaging waste. Excess packaging creates more waste and often adds cost.
3. Buy only the fresh food you need, and repurpose leftovers into new dishes.
4. Use rechargeable batteries to reduce waste.
5. Reusable products are better than disposable ones, which quickly end up in landfills.

Think before you throw!

1. Donate old clothing or turn it into new materials.
2. Properly dispose of paint and other hazardous waste at recycling centers.
3. Compost non-meat kitchen scraps to create fertile soil.
4. Recycle glass and other materials rather than leaving them in the car to increase emissions.
5. Recycle or donate old furniture rather than sending it to landfills.

Moving towards a recycling society will help the EU achieve sustainable growth. Recycling industries already contribute significantly to the economy, creating jobs and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. However, much work remains to be done to bring all EU Member States up to the high standards set by a few.