ZWE Statement on the update of the WFD revision scope

ZWE Statement on the update of the WFD revision scope

The EU has expressed its ambition to address the growing amount of waste in our societies and the unnecessary waste of resources, energy, and nutrients by formulating the circular economy action plan (CEAP) and the European Green Deal.

However, so far, EU policy has focussed only on the quantitative increase of recycling and a reduction of landfilling, which, without additional measures, may cause a shift to more incineration. Given the lack of effective measures for waste prevention, it is not surprising that the amount of waste generated has increased over the last decade. We believe that with this revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), it is high time to tackle the root causes of the increasing amount of waste and resource extraction. Regrettably, the latest update on the scope of this revision has left us disappointed.

After Theresa Mörsen, ZWE Waste Policy Officer:  “The transition towards a circular economy should have resource use reduction at its core: instead of closing an ever-increasing loop, we need to reduce the size of material flows. This requires completely reshaping our extraction, production, and consumption patterns. The proposed scope of the revision that merely focuses on EPR for textiles and possibly food waste reduction targets tackles only a fraction of the waste crisis. The European Commission seems to shut its eyes to what is needed today and prefers kicking the can down the road”. 

We, therefore, call for EU policies to match the European Green Deal’s ambitions and narrative. In light of the EU’s intentions to achieve carbon neutrality and circularity by 2050, the current rate of  8.6% circularity, calculated by the 2022 Circularity Gap Report, is unacceptable and outright dangerous for Europe’s future.

ENDS

Press Contacts:

Theresa Mörsen, ZWE Waste Policy Officer:  [email protected]

Berta Corredor, Press Officer at ZWE:   [email protected]  + 32 471 965 593