Europe is generating too much waste — and not enough is being recycled. The EU is working to create a more circular economy, among others, by preventing waste and improving waste management. At the same time, there are goals to reduce waste’s burden on health and the environment, and to keep valuable resources in the economy.
-EU action
The 2020 EU circular economy action plan aims to halve the total amount of municipal waste not recycled by 2030 in the EU. By then, all EU Member States must recycle at least 60% of their municipal waste. Still, even if all EU Member States reach their 60% recycling target by 2030, trends indicate that the target to halve the absolute amount of municipal waste not recycled will not be achieved unless considerably less municipal waste is generated.
EU waste directives targeting other types of waste include:
Under the umbrella of the European Green Deal and the circular economy action plan, there are additional policies and measures that aim at reducing waste, such as the ban on single-use plastics.
