European Commission raises 2030 recycling target

Europe – By the year 2030, at least 70% by weight of municipal waste from households and businesses should be recycled or prepared for reuse, according to draft legislation adopted by the European Parliament. This exceeds the European Commission proposal for a target of 65%.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have also proposed: an 80% target for 2030 for packaging materials such as paper and cardboard, plastics, glass, metal and wood; and a reduction in the proportion of municipal waste to be landfilled to 5% by 2030. Statistics for 2014 suggest 44% of all municipal waste in the EU is currently recycled or composted.

‘We decided to restore the ambitious recycling and landfill targets in line with what the Commission had originally proposed in 2014,’ points out lead MEP Simona Bonafè.

‘Demand for raw materials by the world economy could increase by a further 50% in the next 15 years. In order to reverse this trend, we must adopt a circular development model which keeps materials and their value in circulation, the only solution able to keep together sustainability with economic growth.’

These proposals now go forward into negotiations with the EU’s Council of Ministers, which yet has to adopt its own position.