Archived press release

EU needs waste prevention and recycling targets to tackle climate change

14 February 2008

A new study, released today [1], shows that proposed binding minimum EU recycling targets of 50% for municipal waste [2] by 2020 could save emissions equivalent to more than 89 million tonnes (mt) of CO2 per year. This is the equivalent to taking 31 million cars off the road. The study builds on a UK report [3] which found that most studies showed that recycling was better for the climate than incineration.

Dr Michael Warhurst, Senior Waste Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:

Recycling our waste helps to tackle climate change, and targets are the best way to make sure recycling really happens across Europe. This study shows the massive potential benefits of targets for municipal waste. Friends of the Earth's analysis shows that it is crucial that targets for business waste are also agreed. The UK Government must support and implement these targets if it is to follow through on its vision of a low-carbon economy.

The study also calculates the climate benefits of waste prevention, and finds that if waste volumes were stabilised at 2006 levels, a total of 1.1 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalents would be saved by 2020.

Nathalie Cliquot of European Environmental Bureau said:

This study provides further evidence that we must make waste prevention a reality, as it has the potential to save significant quantities of climate-changing emissions and to avoid serious environmental damage in the use of natural resources. The European Parliament has already supported a target to stabilise waste production across the EU at 2008 levels by 2012 - they must not let EU Governments dodge this crucial issue.

The new research is released exactly a year after the European Parliament voted in its first reading for the following binding EU targets for prevention and recycling:

• Stabilisation of total waste generation in each EU country at 2008 levels by 2012
• A minimum recycling rate of 50% for municipal waste by 2020, with the option of a 5-year delay for those countries with very low recycling rates.
• A minimum recycling rate of 70% for industrial, commercial, construction and demolition wastes by 2020.

Five EU countries have already achieved the 50% recycling rate for municipal solid waste, with others having set similar targets - including the UK Government in England - demonstrating that this target is easily achievable. The UK government has not set a target for recycling business wastes, nor has it set a stabilization or prevention target.

For a more detailed analysis of the review of the Waste Framework Directive, see our policy briefing and web sites:

www.foeeurope.org/publications/2007/FoEE_EEB_WasteBrief_Sep07.pdf (PDF† - 357 KB)
www.foeeurope.org/activities/waste_management/
www.eeb.org/activities/waste/Index.htm

[1] "Climate Protection Potentials of EU Recycling Targets", Knut Sander (kopol Gmbh), commissioned by the European Environmental Bureau and Friends of the Earth Europe. www.eeb.org/publication/documents/RecyclingClimateChangePotentials.pdf (PDF† - 298 KB)

The method used in the study released today was developed by the UK Government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), adding up the climate benefits of recycling different waste streams based on a detailed review of life cycle assessments. Key climate benefits of recycling (including composting) are avoiding extraction and processing of materials (such as aluminium) and avoiding landfill of wastes that break down into the global warming gas methane. The study also examined the impact of a 65% recycling target - closer to the rate currently achieved by countries with the most effective recycling - and found that emissions of over 145 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent could be saved over today's average recycling rate in Europe.

[2] Municipal waste is waste from households, as well as other similar waste.

[3] "Environmental Benefits of Recycling: An International Review of Lifecycle Comparisons for Key Materials in the UK Recycling Sector." [www.wrap.org.uk/document.rm?id=2839]

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust