Our work at the EU level focuses on making the bridge between zero waste practices at the local level and its transposition to EU wide legislation.
We are extremely proud of our legislation achievements over the past decade – check them out below!
2024 - Influencing the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
In 2024, the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) saw significant progress, focusing on prevention, reuse, and toxic-free materials. The final provisions included bans on PFAS, waste prevention and reuse targets, and requires packaging to be recyclable. Despite some exemptions, the PPWR is a substantial step towards sustainable packaging. National implementation to follow eighteen months after publication.
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2024 - Influencing the Waste Framework Directive
In March 2024, the European Parliament voted to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles in the Waste Framework Directive, holding textile producers accountable for the costs of waste management. Despite lacking concrete targets, the directive includes provisions for more frequent mixed waste surveys and eco-modulation of products. Moreover, MEPs voted to up the ambition of the EU’s first-ever food waste reduction targets. This vote was a milestone for textile waste management and food waste reduction, however, we have to continue putting pressure on co-legislators until the law is finally adopted. We will also continue to work towards a broader revision of the WFD, including a whole new addition that cover materials management in the EU in line with our climate targets.
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2023 - Influencing the Renewable Energy Directive (RED)
In March, decision-makers agreed to require that operators apply mixed waste sorting systems to remove fossil materials prior to incineration, meaning that recyclable waste should not be sent to incineration. In addition, decision-makers agree to consider emissions related to waste before being transformed into fuels, in other words, it means that the emissions related to plastic is considered when producing recycled carbon fuels, and is not eligible for the classification of low carbon fuels.
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2023 - Shaping the EU sustainable finance package for a circular economy
In June, Zero Waste Europe played a pivotal role in shaping the EU Sustainable Finance Package, which aims to steer private investments toward sustainability. This comprehensive package, published on June 13th, 2023, reflects ZWE's influence, with all of its proposals successfully integrated. The package highlights critical elements such as the inclusion of separate collection, composting/biogas, and material recovery as key activities contributing to a circular economy. Significantly, waste-to-energy incineration, including the production of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), has been excluded, marking a crucial victory for sustainable practices. Additionally, mixed waste sorting is now acknowledged as a legitimate method for material recovery, provided that separate collection obligations are fulfilled. This milestone ensures that the EU’s sustainable finance framework effectively supports companies in their transition toward sustainability.
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2022 - Ensuring safety and traceability in recycled plastics for food contact materials
DG SANTE adopted a regulation on the use of recycled plastics for food contact materials (FCM), establishing a batch-level mass balance methodology. This approach guarantees robust chemical and physical traceability throughout the production process, ensuring that recycled content is accurately measured and verified. By defining recycled content strictly where it exists, the regulation not only strengthens consumer safety but also promotes fairness across all recycling technologies. This significant step forward is crucial for maintaining a level playing field in the industry while advancing the circular economy.
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2022 - Including municipal waste incinerators in the EU ETS to boost recycling and climate action
The ENVI rapporteur took a significant step forward by proposing the inclusion of municipal waste incinerators in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 2028. This move was further strengthened when the ENVI committee of the European Parliament adopted its report advocating for an earlier inclusion date of 2026. Including incinerators in the EU ETS, which would price their CO2 emissions, is expected to drive waste prevention and recycling efforts. This initiative not only aligns with the EU’s climate goals but also promises to deliver substantial environmental and employment benefits.
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2021 - Capping residual waste to reduce methane emissions
Zero Waste Europe contributed with evidence-based input and expert recommendations to the 2021 "An EU strategy to reduce methane emissions" report by the European Parliament. The report calls the European Commission to bring the EU Landfill Directive into line with the overarching principles of the Circular Economy Action Plan; to focus the future revision of the relevant Directives on prevention and capping residual waste generation; and to improve the 10% landfill target by defining a landfill cap in kg per person per year. Additionally, the report highlights that there should always be a feasible biological treatment option, such as composting or anaerobic digestion; and calls for the end EU funding for waste incineration.
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2020 - Excluding Waste-To-Energy from the Recovery and Resilience Facility
The European Parliament position on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, referring to the “do no significant harm” criteria of the Taxonomy Regulation, resulted in the exclusion of Waste-To-Energy (WTE) from its scope. It is worth remembering that the aim of this instrument is to mitigate the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient, and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.
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2020 - Keeping incineration out of the Just Transition Fund
The Just Transition Fund - a tool worth €17.5 billion to support people, the economy, and the environment in 2021-2027 - excluded waste incineration from its scope, favouring investments in sustainable solutions in line with the circular economy requirements.
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2020 - Keeping incineration out of the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund
The European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund, a tool worth €242.9 billion, kept waste incineration out of its scope. Conversely, it included investments in Material Recovery and Biological Treatment (MRBT) facilities in its scope, showing a promising step forward towards a more circular economy in Europe.
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2020 - Keeping incineration out of the EU Taxonomy Regulation
After years of hard work, and having to contend with opposing forces from the energy industry, Zero Waste Europe successfully ensured the exclusion of incineration from the EU Taxonomy Regulation, which establishes the actual list of environmentally sustainable activities in the Union.
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2019 - Influencing the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive
The hard work and efforts of Zero Waste Europe, the Break Free From Plastic movement, and the Rethink Plastic alliance led to the adoption of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive - a pioneer legislation to curb the consumption of one of the biggest sources of plastic pollution.
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2018 - Increasing the ambition of the Waste Framework Directive
The best practices of the European network of zero waste cities were used to set the bar of ambition when amending the waste framework directive. Thanks to success stories such as those of Contarina, Ljubljana, and Parma, the EU inserted in EU legislation new recycling targets of 65%, eco-modulation of EPR fees and the obligation to separately collect biowaste by 2023 among many others.
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2015 - Amending the Packaging And Packaging Waste Directive
After years of raising awareness, mobilising, and building pressure through actions such as the Plastic Bag Free Day, the European Union approved an amendment to the Packaging And Packaging Waste Directive to limit the use of single-use plastic bags in Europe to 90 bags yearly per person by 2019.
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2013 - A circular economy through a zero waste narrative
When the European Commission drafted its first ever proposal for a circular economy, Zero Waste Europe provided valuable inspiration and goals. “Towards a circular economy: a zero waste programme for Europe” was the first European Commission document to propose leaving incineration behind, and stepping up prevention and recycling efforts.
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