Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Report trashes EU waste management results
EU member states may be falling short of waste management commitments according to data in a new report on the management of municipal waste, which highlights stark differences across the EU.
The report - prepared by the European Commission's environment department - found that many EU countries may be failing on a 2020 waste target for recycling municipal waste, which is set at 50% of all household waste.
Some of the worst offenders are financially beleaguered Greece, Italy and Cyprus. Their failings include a lack of incentives to divert waste from landfills, which Environment Commissioner Janez Poto?nik called "the worst waste management option".
Greece, which scored lowest in the study, only received a positive note for its access to collection services, but was criticised on 17 counts.
The report graded all 27 member states according to 18 criteria, including total waste recycled, pricing of waste disposal, and infringements of European legislation.
"Many member states are still landfilling huge amounts of municipal waste, despite better alternatives and despite structural funds being available to finance better options," said Janez Poto?nik, reacting to the report.
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden have the best implemented and most well developed recycling systems, the report said, landfilling less than 5% of their waste.
On the basis of the report, the 10 worst performing states will be singled out for attention by the Commission this autumn and action plans will be discussed with the national authorities. A statement from the Commission said that these plans will include recommendations on how to improve waste management using economic, legal and administrative tools, as well as EU funds.
A recent study by the EU executive found that full implementation of the existing legislation on waste could save up to �72 billion a year and create 400,000 jobs by 2020.
9th August 2012