Towards an

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European Commission
Towards an EU Thematic Strategy on Waste
Prevention Recycling
Workshop on Metals Recycling St. Petersburg, 10
September 2003
Stefan Lorenz-Meyer European Commission,
Enterprise DG, E2

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Consultation on the future EU strategy on waste
and recycling

• Objective
• improved waste prevention
• towards a recycling economy
• Instruments (multi-dimensional)
• new quantitative targets
• new measures (economic, technology)

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Legal Framework

• The European Unions 6th Environmental Action
  Programme asks for
• new strategy on waste
• quantitative and qualitative reduction targets
  covering all relevant waste by 2010.
• Process
• 1) broad stakeholder consultation ( Nov. 2003)
• 2) determine final objectives
• 3) new legislation (2004)

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Objectives of the new Communication

• assessing the results and efficiency of existing
  measures
• launching an open debate with all stakeholders on
  the way to further improve the situation, and to
  find most efficient instruments and to encourage
  waste prevention and recycling in the future

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Figures on Waste in the European Union

• Total (excluding agricultural waste) 1300
  MT/year
• 1) Municipal solid waste 17
• 2) Industrial waste 24
• 3) Mining waste 17-30
• 4) Construction and demolition waste 20
• 5) Other 9 - 22

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EU waste management today
General framework landfill, disposal,
management, control of transfrontier
shipments Specific waste packaging,batteries,
oil, end-of-life vehicles, PVC,
electrical and electronic equipment,
etc Waste incineration dangerous waste,
incineration plants, etc. Hazardous waste
management, Basel Convention (transboundary
movements) Radioactive waste shipments,
supervision and control
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Why new initiative?

• EU municipal waste production of 550 kg/y
  beyond the target of 330 kg/y
• Current measures did not stop continuing
  increase in waste production (1995-98 15)
• Therefore
• Improve waste management
• Increase recycling rates
• Save resources

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Key questions

• How to create new waste prevention plans
  involving industry sector and/or individual
  companies?
• How to encourage the use of new low-waste
  production technologies?
• How to diffuse existing best practices?
• How to make use of economic instruments like,
  target setting, tradable certificates,
  pay-as-you throw schemes, etc.?
• How to ensure an efficient and clean recycling
  business?

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Selection of instruments to promote recycling

• 1) Producer responsibility
• 2) Tradable certificates
• 3) Pay-as-you-throw schemes
• 4) Incentive systems
• 5) new material based waste prevention and
  recycling targets
• 6) level playing field for recycling

economic instruments
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Producer responsibility
In EU applied already ? cars (ELV
Directive) ? electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE Directive) Suggestions for
future ? packaging, batteries,
accumulators? ____________________________________
_________ Challenges competition issues, small
waste streams, products with very long life time
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Economic instruments
Tradable certificates cost-effective,
long-term price signal to invest in new
technologies - new concept, monitoring and
enforcement (penalties) Pay-as-you-throw schemes
(PAYT) encourages separate collection
schemes - illegal dumping, cost
circumvention Incentive systems Environmental
Management Systems, tax rebates upon proof of
participation - workable/useful at EU-wide
level?
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Material based targets
Proposal for new approach to optimize waste
prevention and recycling targets Combine
current end-of-life product based targets(e.g.
ELV, batteries, etc.) with new material based
targets (e.g. glass, paper, metals, etc)
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Level play field for recycling

• Best available technique (BAT)
• Definition of minimum requirements for waste
  management operations in order to avoid
  eco-dumping and create an EU market for
  secondary raw material.
• Harmonized implementation of the
  definitions.

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Next steps/more information

• 27 May 2003 - European Commission adopted the
  Communication on the new strategy
• 30 November 2003 - end of the period of
  consultation
• 2004 - European Commission to adopt the new
  strategy
• _______________________________________________
• Internet
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/strat
  egy.htm