Challenges of Resource Efficiency Karolina Fras European Commission – DG Environment 21 October 2009

Waste as a resource Waste as a source of emissions Waste as a tradable good

1. Waste as a resource Leakage of resources outside EU (illegal shipments) Untapped recovery potential + huge discrepancies between MS Over 50% potentially recyclable waste disposed Examples: Paper (56% replaces primary material, but 31 to 66% of wasted recycling potential) Iron, steel (75% replaces primary material, but 15 to 52% of wasted recycling potential) Bio-waste (37% replaces primary material, but 31 to 98% of wasted recycling potential)

Current state of waste recovery in the EU 18 selected waste streams (85% of total waste in EU 27 in 2004) 46% recovered - 54% disposed Highest recovery rates: Rubber & tyres Iron & steel, copper, lead Paper & cardboard Lowest recovery rates: Bio-waste Plastics Textiles

Recycling, incineration and landfilling of municipal solid wastes in Europe Source: EEA, 2007. 5

2. Waste and emissions Oekopol Prognos FFact EEA Consultancy Focus / scenario Additional potential in Mt CO2 equivalent saved Oekopol Recycling MSW (WFD target) 88 Prognos Recycling MSW (WFD target) + 12 waste streams 140 – 230 Mt/year (16 – 27% of EU Kyoto target) FFact Energy from waste (40% in WtE) 45 EEA Decreased landfilling, increased recycling and energy recovery 85

3. Waste as a good Limited supply of certain raw materials in EU Dependence on imports Market distortions and volatility

Where are we now? Despite its maturity (30 years of waste framework Directive) the Community waste legislation is not implemented sufficiently well by all Member States and economic players: Thousands of illegal landfills More than 1 on 4 shipments of waste found to be illegal Frequent infringement cases Still high risk of damage to health and safety

Action? Legislation Implementation Improved markets revised WFD with its EOW criteria, waste hierarchy, separate collection and recycling targets daughter directives on waste streams new legislation?... Implementation key issue, in all MS WSR, Landfill and Waste Framework Directive as priorities EU Waste Agency? Improved markets quality of recyclates (info, labelling, standards) transaction costs (exchange of info, facilitate search of business partners) stable supply of secondary raw materials (improve waste collection and management schemes in MS) other?...

Revised Waste Framework Directive and resource efficiency

Elements promoting resource efficiency Waste management hierarchy Life cycle thinking Clarification – streamlining definitions (recovery, recycling, waste, end-of-waste, by-products, etc) Obligation of separate collection New recycling targets Focus on prevention

Setting priorities with the 5-step Waste Hierarchy PREVENTION Order of priorities Moving waste management up the hierarchy Best environmental outcome Life-cycle approach PREPARING FOR REUSE RECYCLING (COMPOSTING) RECOVERY DISPOSAL

New recycling targets By 2020, the preparing for re-use and recycling of: 50% by weight of at least paper, metal, plastic and glass from household and possibly other origins as far as these waste streams are similar to waste from households; 70% by weight of non-hazardous construction & demolition waste;

New dimension of prevention New requirements concerning prevention: MS to establish waste prevention programmes; Programmes to set out prevention objectives, describe prevention measures, determine qualitative and quantitative benchmarks or targets for waste prevention; Indicators to be developed by the Commission; Commission to create a system for sharing information on best practice regarding waste prevention and develop guidelines for MS;

Other waste legislation and resource efficiency

SOME TARGETS IN EU WASTE LEGISLATION   min recovery min recycling collection rate Packaging 2008 60% 55% Cars 2015 95% 85% 100% Electronics 2006 70% 50% min 4 kg per inhabitant per year Batteries 2011 50% to 75% (efficiency) 2012 25% 2016  45% Tyres 0 landfill of tyres Biowaste diverted from landfills reduction to 75% of the 1995 level 2009 reduction to 50% of the 1995 level reduction to 35% of the 1995 level New targets Separate collection: at least paper/metal/plastic/glass (WFD) 2020 50% household waste 70% construction and demolition waste

What needs to be separately collected? WFD: By 2015 separate collection shall be set up for at least the following: paper, metal, plastic and glass. Bio-Waste Waste Oils Hazardous Waste Other waste legislation: Batteries and accumulators WEEE ELV Packaging PCBc / PCTs Tyres (landfill ban as of 2003 for whole and 2006 for shredded)

Conclusion and outlook Waste is one aspect of a broader concept of resource efficiency Waste Framework Directive and other Community legislation provide means to achieve resource efficient EU economy Implementation is a key to success, efforts need to be stepped up to improve it

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ European Commission karolina.fras@ec.europa.eu http://ec.europa.eu/environment/