EU Adopts Strict Waste Reduction Law

I fully concur with the intentions of the ministers in Eurpoe. My Work is an example. We each have a private bin. There are bigger bins in the kitchens where food scraps should be thrown and there are paper and other recycling bins. I regularly observe mountains of waste including recycling in the desk bins. I regularly see recycling in the bins only 5 steps away from the recycling bins. Australia is currently experiencing a severe drought and Brisbane where I live is at level 4 water restrictions which only allows watering by buckets on odd or even days (depending on your house number). However, I've observed someone cleaning his teeth with the tap running full bore. For as long as I remember, even when there hasn't been a drought, the message has ALWAYS been to not run the tap whilst cleaning your teeth. I'm suggesting that it is a very difficult problem for people to do what is required of them.


February 18, 2007
From Environment News Service.

STRASBOURG, France, February 13, 2007 (ENS) - The European Parliament today tackled Europe's growing waste mountain when it strengthened the new framework legislation on waste proposed by the European Commission, the EU's executive branch.

Despite existing legislation, Europeans are producing more waste every year. Currently, in some member states, up to 90 percent of municipal waste goes to landfill sites. Europe-wide, only 33 percent of waste is recycled or composted.

The lawmakers are convinced this cannot go on. They want the upward curve to be halted in 2012 and waste production to start declining from 2020.

On a vote of 651 to 19 with 16 abstentions, Parliament today adopted a report by UK Conservative MEP Caroline Jackson on the framework directive.

The measure introduces targets for waste prevention and recycling, and directs all 27 EU member states to create national waste prevention programs within 18 months of the entry into force of the legislation, known as a framework directive.

The aim is to stabilize waste production at the level reached in 2008 by 2012.

But stabilizing production of waste was not enough for the MEPs. In addition, they set waste reduction targets to be reached by 2020 that would have to be established by 2010.

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Parliament also introduced binding targets for re-use and recycling.

By 2020, 50 percent of municipal solid waste and 70 percent of waste from construction, demolition, industry and manufacturing must be re-used or recycled.

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By 2020, no recyclable waste must end up in landfill sites.

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