Legal framework for waste reduction at European level
Waste management in Europe today is largely influenced by a series of European regulations that are based on a waste management hierarchy which favours prevention at source. The revision of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC which entered into force in December 2008 has consolidated the primary role of waste prevention.
Member States had to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this revised Directive by 12 December 2010.
The Waste Management hierarchy : the revised Directive has laid down a five-step hierarchy of waste management options which must be applied by Member States when developing their national waste policies :
- Waste prevention
- Preparing for re-use
- Recycling
- Recovery (including energy recovery)
- Safe disposal, as a last resort
In keeping with this hierarchy, the European Week for Waste Reduction aims to raise awareness more specifically on the act of preventing the production of waste prior to waste collection.
ADEME compiled the Inventory of the policies and stakeholders of waste prevention in Europe in the end of 2011. This document gives an overview on the current situation of waste prevention country by country.
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