In 2018 EU governments and institutes have signed a historic agreement containing ambitious measures for waste recycling and reuse, which refers to:
· simplifying the collection and sorting of different materials for recycling and reuse, making that system mandatory;
· Reducing the amount of food waste;
· Reusing packages/boxes and introduction of financial impetus to encourage its recycling;
· Banning burning and burial of waste collected for recycling or reuse;
· Setting higher goals for product recycling and reuse;
· Responsibilities of manufacturers to pay more for packaging waste collection and recycling
· Developing a more accurate methodology for assessing the degree of recycling.
The authors of a report by the European Environment Bureau (EEB), ClientEarth and Ecoteca, are concerned that two years later, most EU member states (at least 16 out of 27) missed the deadline of the end of July the possibility of including the measures in the national legislation.
According to a report published by Materials Economics consultants, only efforts to halve reduce food waste could help European households save about 600 Euros per year by 2030.
In 2017 only 30% of EU household waste is recycled as secondary raw material, 17% is recycled as fertilizer, 28% is incinerated and 24% is landfilled.
According to the report by Material Economy, a more circular economy can reduce costs and provide an additional amount of more than 500 billion Euros per year by 2030. In the context of the EU average household, energy savings per household will constitute € 2,400 per year.
According to EEB Director of Policy Integration and Circular Economy Stephane Arditi, the 750 billion Euros promised by the EU to national governments to overcome the crisis will provide assistance to these areas. Governments must submit comprehensive national programs on which decisions on grants, loans and investments will depend. According to the European Green Deal, at least 37% of the money should be spent on environmental projects.
January 27, 2021 at 16:45