EEB

Waste

The effects of waste on other key environmental issues

• The Role of the EU
• What is the EEB doing?
• Prevention
• WEEE Directive
• The effects of waste on other key environmental issues
• The WEEE Directive recast: from a good report to an even better law?

A recent study on waste policy implementation shows that implementation of an effective waste policy could alone contribute to 30% of the European Community’s total CO2 emissions reduction target.

Increased recycling of waste will limit global warming and mitigate natural resources depletion. Incineration of waste is not viable or sustainable and contributes to global warming. Energy recovery as a result of incineration is not a justification for this practice. Similarly, the diversion of waste from landfill should not be a justification for increasing incineration capacity.

Material recycling has clear benefits for resources efficiency and also contributes to a circular economy. Processes such as Anaerobic Digestion of biowaste which enable both material recycling and energy recovery should also be encouraged.

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