Waste management

Figure 19. Summary analysis: waste

Introduction

Waste is a significant source of pollution, especially if mismanaged. For this reason, preventing its generation and ensuring sound waste management are long-standing objectives of EU policy. Similar to the zero pollution hierarchy, the EU waste hierarchy calls for a focus on preventing waste generation so that pollution associated with waste management operations is avoided altogether. The least preferable waste treatment options in the waste hierarchy are the ones associated with the most pollution; for example, disposing of waste in landfill or incineration plants.

The zero pollution action plan includes targets for preventing and better managing waste through:

• significant reductions in waste generation by 2030;
• halving the amount of residual municipal waste in the EU by 2030.

Assessing key waste management trends

So far, the EU has managed to slow down waste generation — between 2010 and 2018, waste generation has increased more slowly than economic growth, leading to a relative decoupling of waste generation from economic growth (Figure 20). Between 2018 and 2020, waste generation in the EU registered a significant reduction of around 8%. However, this reduction follows a contraction of the EU economy in 2020, as a result of the measures put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is not yet safe to say that the goal of absolute decoupling — i.e. decreasing waste generation while growing the economy — has been achieved in the EU. Although the management of some waste streams is improving, around half of all waste has continued to be disposed of in landfill or incineration plants for the past 10 years.

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Figure 21 shows that the recycling of municipal waste steadily increased between 2004 and 2020, with a corresponding decrease in residual municipal waste. However, according to projections, the EU is unlikely to meet its target for residual municipal waste levels by 2030 — even if the recycling target for municipal waste (included in the EU Waste Framework Directive) is achieved by all EU Member States. The target to halve residual waste could only be reached through very intensive efforts to prevent municipal waste generation and achieve recycling levels that are higher than current EU targets.

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Sending waste to landfill is considered one of the least favourable waste management options. It is associated with many forms of pollution; for instance, leaching of pollutants into groundwater, emissions of certain air pollutants such as methane and littering the marine environment. The amount of generated waste sent to landfills has been decreasing in the EU both in absolute terms and as a share of generated waste, as a result of past EU action. Between 2010 and 2020, the total quantity of waste () sent to landfill decreased from 173 million tonnes to 125 million tonnes and in 2020 only 16% of generated waste was landfilled (Figure 22).

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The amount of waste exported from the EU increased by 77% between 2004 and 2021. Waste exported outside the EU may not be treated in line with similarly strict pollution control requirements as in the EU, and therefore might be a significant source of pollution in third countries.

A current high-profile waste issue stems from the continuous growth in production, and the use of and trade in plastics in Europe and globally. Import bans on waste plastic [LINK] in countries such as China have significantly reduced plastic waste exports from the EU (EEA, 2021c). [LINK] Plastic is a significant fraction of total waste in Europe and, if mismanaged, has serious impacts (including the unknown long-term effects of microplastics on ecosystem quality and human health). A number of EU policies and initiatives have been put in place to address the problems posed by plastics, from introducing ambitious recycling targets to banning single-use items. However, plastic waste still remains and will remain a serious pollution issue, as further explained in the zero pollution cross-cutting story on plastics.

Pollution from waste landfill and waste incineration

Figure 23 indicates that methane emissions decreased steadily between 2010 and 2020; this was partially due to less food waste (a source of methane) being sent to landfill and emissions being better managed. Carbon dioxide emissions fluctuated somewhat and have increased slightly in recent years. Ammonia emissions increased during the period with somewhat erratic trends due to intermittent reporting by facilities and significant variations in the data received.

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Figure 24 shows changes in air pollutant emissions from incineration facilities in Europe between 2010 and 2020. Although the pollutant emissions depicted are either increasing or show erratic trends, emissions from incineration plants are expected to decline if the best available technique reference documents (BREFs) for the sector are fully adopted and used as the basis for issuing environmental permits by late 2023. Moreover, the proposal for a new Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), if adopted, will help to reduce emissions further.

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Figure 25. Indicator analysis — waste

Note: Links to indicators: Waste generation and decoupling in Europe,  Reaching 2030’s residual municipal waste target — why recycling is not enough, Diversion of waste from landfill in Europe.