Most of the waste generated ends up in landfills or is incinerated causing environmental damage. The amount of waste produced is growing at an alarming rate and by 2020 the EU could be producing 45% more waste than in 1995. The UK produces more than 434 million tonnes of waste every year. This rate of rubbish generation would fill the Albert Hall in London in less than two hours.
Today the European Parliament will vote on the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), one of the EU's key regulatory instruments for tackling waste, which will set the ground rules for all other EU legislation in this area.
Labour MEPs are claiming victory in their fight for binding recycling and re-use targets by 2020 of 50% for household waste, such as paper, metal and glass, and 70% for construction and demolition waste. MEPs have also secured a strong commitment from Member States to make real progress on waste prevention.
Linda McAvan MEP, Labour member of the Environment Committee, said: "The UK is currently only recycling 31% of our municipal waste. Labour MEPs are backing the target of recycling half of all household waste."
"The new recycling targets will also contribute to our climate change objectives. It is estimated that the waste produced by an average household per week represents 38.2kg of CO2. If we can reduce, or at least recycle this waste, significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions can be prevented."
A central element proposed in the Waste Framework Directive is a waste hierarchy which requires national waste management policies to follow a strict 5-stage hierarchy that prioritises waste prevention and recycling.
For more information please call the European Parliamentary Labour Party press officer, Silke Thomson on +32 479 790 053.
European Parliamentary Labour Party, European Parliament, Rue Wiertz, 1047 BRUSSELS, Belgium
