HALF OF EUROPE'S RECYCLABLE WASTE ENDS UP IN INCINERATOR OR LANDFILL

Around half of all recyclable waste from European municipalities, industry and trade is not recycled. If we were to recycle that amount, it would save 148 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. That is equivalent to suddenly taking 47 million cars off the road in Europe. This is shown by the study Gone to Waste by the international environmental organisation Friends of the Earth.

With the study, the organisation wants to demonstrate how great the environmental benefits are if European countries were to landfill and incinerate less waste and recycle more. Moreover, it is not even just an environmental issue. By not reusing around half of all recyclable waste, Europe is estimated to be missing out on over five billion euros in revenue.

In England alone, 24 million tonnes of recyclable waste goes into the ground or incinerator every year, Friends of the Earth calculated. This is equivalent to 19 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, and six million cars on the road per year. The value of this waste as a reusable raw material: 650 million pounds.

Ban on landfill

With the results of the study, Friends of the Earth is calling for a ban on the landfilling and incineration of recyclable waste. The environmental benefits of such a ban can be seen in Flanders. Indeed, Dutch-speaking Belgium recycles around 70 per cent of household waste and has a landfill ban and an incineration ban on most recyclable materials. In the Netherlands, we have had a ban on the landfilling of various materials, including packaging waste, since 1997, but we incinerate relatively a lot of waste (38 per cent).

At the top of the European waste recycling lists is Germany (64 per cent of waste is recycled). This is followed by Belgium (62 per cent) and the Netherlands (60 per cent). This concerns both recycling and composting of waste. On average, a European produces 522 kg of waste. In 2007, 42 per cent of this municipal waste was landfilled, 20 per cent incinerated, 22 per cent recycled and 17 per cent composted.

In 2008, the European Commission emphasised the importance of Europe having raw materials in the 'Raw Materials Initiative'. Friends of the Earth and the Recycling Network wonder why the Commission is at the same time doing so little to prevent secondary raw materials from disappearing into the ground or the incinerator?

Read the full study

Or visit Friends of the Earth

Around half of all recyclable waste from European municipalities, industry and trade is not recycled. If we were to recycle that amount, it would save 148 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. That is equivalent to suddenly taking 47 million cars off the road in Europe. This is shown by the study Gone to Waste by the international environmental organisation Friends of the Earth.

With the study, the organisation wants to demonstrate how great the environmental benefits are if European countries were to landfill and incinerate less waste and recycle more. Moreover, it is not even just an environmental issue. By not reusing around half of all recyclable waste, Europe is estimated to be missing out on over five billion euros in revenue. In England alone, 24 million tonnes of recyclable waste goes into the ground or incinerator every year, Friends of the Earth calculated. This is equivalent to 19 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, and six million cars on the road per year. The value of this waste as a reusable raw material: 650 million pounds.Ban on landfill With the results of the study, Friends of the Earth is calling for a ban on the landfilling and incineration of recyclable waste. The environmental benefits of such a ban can be seen in Flanders. Indeed, Dutch-speaking Belgium recycles around 70 per cent of household waste and has a landfill ban and an incineration ban on most recyclable materials. In the Netherlands, we have had a ban on the landfilling of various materials, including packaging waste, since 1997, but we incinerate relatively a lot of waste (38 per cent). At the top of the European lists of waste recycling is Germany (64 per cent of waste is recycled). This is followed by Belgium (62 per cent) and the Netherlands (60 per cent). This concerns both recycling and composting of waste. On average, a European produces 522 kg of waste. In 2007, 42 per cent of this municipal waste was landfilled, 20 per cent incinerated, 22 per cent recycled and 17 per cent composted. In 2008, the European Commission emphasised in the 'Raw Materials Initiative' how important it is that Europe has raw materials. Friends of the Earth and the Recycling Network wonder why the Commission is at the same time doing so little to prevent secondary raw materials from disappearing into the ground or the incinerator? Read the full study Or visit Friends of the Earth