Europe
Overview of Waste Generation and Management in Europe
- The EU generates massive amounts of waste from various sectors including
manufacturing, food, construction, electronics, textiles etc.
- On average, each European produces about 5 tonnes of waste annually. About 40.8%
of municipal waste is recycled.
- Recycling rates vary significantly by country. In 2021, rates ranged from 68% in
Germany to 11% in Romania.
- The share of waste sent to landfill decreased from 23% to 16% between 2010 and
2020 in the EU-27, despite increasing total waste generation.
Government Initiatives and Policies
The EU has developed a waste policy aimed at keeping products in use for as long as
possible and responsibly disposing of them when no longer usable.
Key policies include:
- The Waste Framework Directive
- The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
- The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
The 2020 EU circular economy action plan aims to halve the total amount of municipal waste
not recycled by 2030.
There are initiatives to ban single-use plastics and prevent unnecessary textile waste.
Recycling Rates and Trends
The EU's recycling rate of municipal waste reached 49% but still 24% is landfilled.
Recycling rates vary significantly between different types of waste streams. For example,
64% of packaging waste is recycled compared to 39% of electrical/electronic waste.
Overall waste generation increased by 1% between 2010-2020 despite improvements in
recycling.
Challenges and Future Directions
Significant effort is needed to achieve EU waste objectives. Non-recyclable products need to
be phased out and waste should be collected separately for recycling.
New waste streams like electric vehicle batteries will require new management approaches.
Products need to be designed for recyclability.
There are concerns about illegal export of waste from the EU to other countries.
Some developed countries with sophisticated businesses may need to focus more on
sustainable practices rather than just innovation
Sources –
www.eea.europa.eu
www.mdpi.com
Europe's waste management appears to be better than India's in several key areas:
Infrastructure and funding:
- Europe has invested significantly more in waste management infrastructure
compared to India. European regions spent €15-225 per ton on waste collection,
€21-250 per ton on incineration, and €30-164 per ton on landfilling
- In contrast, Asia (which includes India) has been investing very little in waste
management overall
Job creation:
- Europe had 900,000 to 1.5 million jobs related to waste management as of 2012 3.
- In contrast, waste management jobs were much fewer in Asia, with around 7,000
jobs in waste collection in 2007
Recycling rates:
- Europe has shown progress in reducing municipal solid waste generation per capita
over recent decades
- In 2016, Europe's recycling rate of municipal waste reached 49%
Waste prevention:
- Europe has implemented policies like the Waste Framework Directive and circular
economy action plans aimed at reducing waste generation
Landfill taxes:
- Many European countries have implemented landfill taxes to discourage landfilling
- India faces significant challenges in waste management:
Lack of infrastructure:
- Much of Asia (including India) disposes of municipal solid waste through unsafe
means like open dumping, unsanitary landfilling, and open burning
Limited recycling:
- Recycling rates are much lower in India compared to Europe.
Rapid waste generation:
- There has been a notable increase in municipal solid waste generation in Asia due to
rapid urbanization and economic growth
-
Inadequate job opportunities:
- Despite potential for job growth, there are currently few jobs related to waste
management in Asia
Sources - www.civilenvironjournal.com
www.jetir.org
