This unit provides an overview of waste policy development at the EU level, from initial concerns over public health and the environment to the current focus on limiting resource consumption and promoting a circular economy. It outlines key EU waste directives including the Waste Framework Directive, Landfill Directive, and Industrial Emissions Directive. It also discusses producer responsibility legislation and the recent Circular Economy Package, which aims to further increase recycling and promote eco-design through new targets and actions.

1. Unit 1.3
European Context

2. Unit Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide the learner with an understanding
of the policy context of waste at the EU level and the key measures
that are leading to a more circular economy. The learning objectives
are:
Learning
Objectives:
• Understand the key building blocks of waste policy at
the EU level
• Understand how each key policy works towards
promoting a sustainable approach to waste
management
• Recognise the evolution of the circular economy and
the value it brings to the EU
• Define a training programme that describes the
development of waste policy culminating in the
circular economy approach.
EQF Levels: This content is mainly suitable for EQF Level 5 but can be
extended to Levels 6 and 7

3. Unit Outline
• Introduction
• Framework Directives
• Landfill Directive
• Producer responsibility
• Circular Economy Package
• Case-studies
• Further reading

4. Introduction
You might think that an economy that grows, will consume more
resources. In Europe, each person consume 16 tonnes of resources
per year, and yet we have increased our economy by over 50%.
While 16 tonnes per person is high, it does show that we have been
able to restrain waste growth.
Initially, our concern about waste was due to the impact on our
health. Then the focus moved to containing waste and limiting its
impact on the environment. Now our focus is on limiting our
resource consumption.
Public Health
Environment
Protection
Resource
Consumption

5. Introduction
Next slide shows the video link to learn more about how much
resources Europe consumes and wastes
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QH_fYLMjSg

6. What is the EU doing?
How the EU tackling the problem of waste?
The most obvious approach is to apply legislation. The
EU defines high level Directives or Regulations which
each country has to implement within a certain
timeframe. Each country can implement these
directives in their own way but the principles and
outcomes must be the same as intended by the
directive.
For instance one country might choose to ban waste
going to landfill, while another might choose to apply
a very high tax on every tonne landfilled. Both will
have the same effect of stopping waste going to
landfill.

7. Waste Framework Directive
Let’s start with the Waste Framework
Directive (2008/98/EC). This sets out a
number of articles which have major
implications for ‘how waste is managed
across Europe’.
Article 1 defines waste as “any substance or
object which the holder discards or intends
or is required to discard”. This legal
definition is essential if waste is brought
into a system of regulations
Article 4 makes the waste hierarchy at the
heart of our policies: that waste prevention
is preferred to reuse which is preferred to
recycling which is preferred to disposal.
Recycling targets for household wastes and
construction wastes are set for each
country in Article 11.

8. An exercise
The previous slide gave the legal definition of waste. Note that this
definition is from the perspective of the holder.
Since the holder no longer needs the product or material, he has no
self interest in making sure it is disposed safely.
Can you give some reasons as to why it is important to have such a
legal definition?

9. An exercise - answer
The main reason is that if a material or
product is considered to be ‘waste’ then it is
subject to all the regulatory controls on
transportation, treatment at facilities with
permits, and the disposal of the waste can be
an illegal act.
So let’s say someone buys a new car and after
3 years decide to trade it in for a new one,
from the definition the traded in car is actually
“waste”, even though it has value.
However, we can be pragmatic about the
definition, and in any case the old car is
subject to a recovery operation (clean and
polish) and therefore ceases to be waste
before it is sold on.
“any substance or
object which the
holder discards or
intends or is
required to discard”

10. Other Directives
The Waste Framework Directive was first established in 1975, but two other
Directives have been introduced since then:
The Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) fundamentally changed the way waste is
disposed of to landfill. Tight engineering standards which prevent leakage into
groundwater, the banning of tyres and liquid wastes to landfill were introduced.
An important measure was the restriction of organic (biodegradable) wastes going
to landfill, which generates methane gas – a powerful greenhouse gas.
The Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) controls the emissions from waste
incineration facilities.

11. Background to Producer responsibility
As the name suggests producer responsibility aligns itself to another concept in
the Waste Framework Directive – the polluter pays principle.
Producer responsibility looks to place the financial burden for the recycling and
disposal of products back on the producers.
The EU has established 4 main waste streams that are subject to producer
responsibility.
Specific recycling targets have been set for these streams, with most EU member
states choosing to make the relevant producers meet the cost of managing the
waste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Tx4sqHyr0&feature=youtu.be
https://player.vimeo.com/video/45872616
Watch videos on next slides

12. An exercise
So what other waste streams cause particular problems to the
environment and would benefit from producer responsibility (PR)
legislation?
Now the challenge here is to consider the following:
1. Does the waste cause particular harm to the environment?
2. Is it easy to identify the level of burden that can be placed on
individual producers.
3. Should the consumers pay instead?
Which of these three waste streams do you think are suitable for PR?
Food Waste
from homes
MattressesTyres

13. Circular Economy Package
Details on the so-called Circular Economy Package can be found here.
It represents the next big push by Europe to become a society which
uses resources efficiently.
It has two elements:
1. Revisions to the Directives mentioned previously which mainly
involves increasing recycling targets limiting waste going to
landfill; and
2. An Action Plan which promotes greater eco-design
considerations, improved resource efficiency in industry,
encourage green procurement. Certain waste streams such as
plastics and food waste are to be targeted.

14. Summary
• Europe has led on policies to reduce our demand on resources
• Similar legislation applies across the EU which has led to increased
recycling, and better protection for the environment from the
effects of poor waste disposal practices
• The EU is now embracing circular economy thinking

15. Check these Links too
Details of the EU Circular Economy Package
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm
Waste Policy across the EU
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm
EU and sustainable use of resources
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/natres/index.htm