In a piv­otal move to enhance sus­tain­abil­i­ty and the cir­cu­lar econ­o­my, EUMEPS, along with a broad coali­tion of busi­ness organ­i­sa­tions and NGOs, has co-signed an impor­tant let­ter addressed to the Mem­bers of the ENVI Com­mit­tee. This let­ter advo­cates for amend­ments to the Waste Frame­work Direc­tive (WFD), high­light­ing the neces­si­ty for improved waste man­age­ment prac­tices through­out Europe.

The Pressing Need for Enhanced Waste Management

Europe is con­front­ed with the chal­lenge of effec­tive­ly man­ag­ing its recy­clable waste, with many Mem­ber States find­ing it dif­fi­cult to achieve the recy­cling tar­gets set in EU law. The preva­lent prac­tice of incin­er­at­ing and land­fill­ing recy­clable mate­ri­als is a sig­nif­i­cant bar­ri­er to the advance­ment of a cir­cu­lar econ­o­my. The let­ter co-signed by EUMEPS focus­es on this essen­tial issue and sup­ports an expan­sion of the WFD pro­pos­al to tack­le it effectively.

Proposed Amendments for a Circular Economy

At the heart of the let­ter is the sup­port for Amend­ments 291, 292, 293, 294, and 465, which pro­pose the sort­ing of mixed waste to recov­er recy­clable mate­ri­als before their dis­pos­al in incin­er­a­tion or land­fill sites. This key step is fun­da­men­tal for reclaim­ing valu­able resources, align­ing with the prin­ci­ples of the cir­cu­lar econ­o­my. Research sug­gests that these amend­ments could result in recy­cling near­ly 10 mil­lion tonnes of waste and gen­er­at­ing around 23,700 jobs across the EU.

A United Effort for Sustainable Change

EUMEPS, in col­lab­o­ra­tion with its part­ners, is ded­i­cat­ed to pro­mot­ing sus­tain­able waste man­age­ment prac­tices. The coalition’s endorse­ment of these amend­ments reflects a uni­fied com­mit­ment to a more resource-effi­cient and envi­ron­men­tal­ly friend­ly Europe. This ini­tia­tive high­lights the col­lec­tive effort required to effec­tu­ate impact­ful changes in waste man­age­ment policies.

As EUMEPS leads the way in advo­cat­ing for sus­tain­abil­i­ty and the cir­cu­lar econ­o­my, we urge all stake­hold­ers – includ­ing EU reg­u­la­tors, pol­i­cy­mak­ers, indus­try experts, and Euro­pean cit­i­zens – to sup­port these essen­tial amend­ments to the Waste Frame­work Direc­tive. By embrac­ing these mod­i­fi­ca­tions, we can all play a part in fos­ter­ing a green­er, more sus­tain­able future for Europe. Join us in sup­port­ing these amend­ments and con­tribut­ing to shap­ing a more resilient and eco-con­scious continent.

Your par­tic­i­pa­tion is cru­cial. Col­lab­o­rate with us to rev­o­lu­tionise waste man­age­ment in Europe and lay the foun­da­tion for a sus­tain­able future. Engage and express your sup­port for the pro­posed amend­ments to the Waste Frame­work Direc­tive. Togeth­er, we can effect mean­ing­ful change.