EBA contributes to the Waste Markets Consultation

The European Commission organised a Workshop where relevant stakeholders could discuss obstacles and failures in the European waste market.

The workshop took part on the 16th of November and gathered the main European stakeholders in the waste sector, including Industry associations, NGOs, international organisations and companies. The online Waste Markets public consultation which was opened over the summer was used as a basis to focus the discussion on the how to foster recycling through a market oriented approach.

Participants explained several obstacles to recycling such as different interpretations of EU law by member states, incineration overcapacity in certain areas, illegal dumping sites and excessive administrative burdens for recyclers. Several solutions were proposed, including fiscal incentives, regional waste management plans and simplification/harmonisation of administrative procedures. Organic waste was highlighted as being one of the most underexploited yet promising sectors, particularly when it comes to the recycling of phosphorous and other crucial nutrients. Anaerobic digestion was recognised as excellent technique to treat biowaste and other organic residues.

The European Commission highlighted the importance of having a functioning European waste market, so as to give recyclers economies of scale and larger markets where they can sell their secondary raw materials. Within this context, the Commission plans to review the EU Waste Shipment Regulation by 2020.

EBA participated to the online Waste Markets public consultation and to the stakeholder workshop in November. It will keep following developments in this topic in the future.