EU waste and resource policy
Zero waste plan for EU shows good intentions but more ambitious measures needed
The European Commission today adopted a 'zero waste' programme, combined with a proposal to revise EU rules on waste. Commenting on the proposals, Green environment spokesperson Benedek Jávor said:
"While the ostensible goal of the Commission to move towards zero waste is very welcome, it has gotten the priorities wrong with its proposals. The top priority should be a greater focus on prevention of waste, with ambitious reduction targets. Unfortunately, what the Commission is proposing de facto gives priority to recycling, rather than waste prevention. However, more recycling alone does not mean that Europe's overconsumption of resources is actually reduced. More recycling is welcome, but without proposing effective waste reduction targets, beyond food waste and marine litter, the Commission creates a false sense of 'problem solved'."
Green environment spokesperson Margrete Auken added:
“The proposal to prohibit recyclable waste from being sent to landfills from 2025 is an important step forward but major uncertainty remains. Any landfill ban needs to be accompanied by legal provisions to also prevent the incineration of recyclable waste at the same time if we are to avoid setting fire to a coherent approach on recycling.
"The proposal for a resource efficiency target is welcome. It represents a concrete measure to deliver the acknowledgement that reducing resource use offers an enormous potential to create new jobs, decrease Europe's dependency on imported resources and help build crisis-resilient economies. However, a non-binding target based on resource productivity is too weak and fails to address the need to reduce overall resource consumption in Europe in absolute terms. The incoming Commission must assume this task and make sure that ambitious action to cut Europe's overconsumption of resources is taken in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy."
