Consumption & ProductionWaste Policy

Steps to implement the circular economy concept

Published

08 May 2014

Written by

Joan Marc

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Bring waste full circle

Bring waste full circle
Bring waste full circle

In view of the coming Clean-up actions planned for May 10, we issues a joint statement together with other European NGOs, calling for the European Union to implement 10 steps necessary to lead to a resource efficient Europe.

full waste circle1full waste circle2

The 10 steps in full are:

  1. Set a binding EU material reduction target based on the Total Material Consumption indicator
  2. Set a zero residual waste target (the waste that is not reused or recycled) by 2025
  3. Introduce binding waste prevention targets for municipal, commercial and industrial waste at the European and national levels
  4. Set preparation for reuse targets for municipal solid waste and packaging, with targets for – at a minimum – textiles and furniture, based on the weight of material per capita put back on the market by approved reuse centres. The targets must not be combined with recycling
  5. Increase recycling targets to at least 70 per cent of municipal solid waste, using only one harmonised methodology for all Member States to report on, based on the recycling output. Set an overall packaging recycling target at 80 per cent and boost plastic packaging recycling to at least 75 per cent
  6. Set a binding quantitative marine litter reduction target of 50 per cent with an explicit definition of litter included in waste legislation, in recognition of the serious negative impacts on the marine environment
  7. Introduce obligatory separate collection of waste by 2020, in particular for biowaste from homes and the hospitality sector as well as separate collection for materials including paper, cardboard, metals and textiles
  8. Promote economic instruments that support the full implementation of the waste hierarchy, such as extended producer responsibility, pay-as-you-throw schemes and the taxation of resources where appropriate
  9. Design out single-use, non-recyclable products and toxic materials such as microplastics and oxo-fragementable plastics
  10. Ban landfill and incineration by 2020 for all recyclable and compostable waste. Ban the financing of incinerators and landfills via structural and cohesion funds.

logos supporting NGOsto download the statement in PDF click here.