A recent policy paper issued by the EU – which recommends ‘zero landfilling’ of untreated biowaste in line with the Waste Framework Directive - does not actually support the idea of a separate biowaste directive. Yet a call from MEP Jose Manuel Fernandes to put a biowaste directive, with mandatory seperate collection, in place has been overwhelmingly backed by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee.
According to the EU Commission’s analysis a biowaste directive is not necessary as there are no gaps in policy which would prevent Member States taking appropriate action to deal with their biowaste. The recommendation has been to strengthen existing legislation and conform to more stringent enforcement of the Waste Framework Directive.
Priority actions for member states include:
• Rigorous enforcement of the targets on diverting biowaste away from landfill
• Proper application of the waste hierarchy and other provisions of the Waste Framework Directive
• Introduction of separate collection systems as a matter of priority
The EU Commission assessment states that biowaste accounts for 88 million tonnes of municipal waste each year, and that improved biowaste management according to the existing policies could deliver environmental and economic benefits estimated at between 1.5 and 7 billion euro.
Further information available here
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