Although waste management in the EU has improved considerably in recent decades, almost a third of municipal waste is still landfilled and less than half is recycled or composted, with wide variations between member states. In 2014, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden sent virtually no municipal waste to landfill, wheras Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Latvia and Malta still landfill more than three quarters of their municipal waste.

The European Commission has made four legislative proposals introducing new waste-management targets regarding reuse, recycling and landfilling as part of a drive to improve waste management for a better environment, climate, economy and health.

During a plenary session yesterday (March 14), MEPs proposed to limit the share of waste to be landfilled to just 5%, and formally adopted draft legislation for the share of waste to be recycled to increase to 70% by 2030, representing a 44% increase on today’s figures.

In addition to European politicians calling for the waste package plans to limit how much waste individual member states landfill, they also want to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

Statistics for 2014 suggest that 44% of all municipal waste in the EU is recycled or composted. This compares to just 31% in 2004, and by 2020 EU member states should be recycling or composting over 50% of waste.

Parliament will now negotiate with Council of Ministers. “Today, Parliament by a very large majority has showed that it believes in the transition towards a circular economy. We decided to restore the ambitious recycling and landfill targets in line with what the Commission had originally proposed in 2014 said lead MEP Simona Bonafè (S&D, IT).

“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” she said.

“Re-use, recycling and recovery are becoming the keywords around which a new paradigm needs to be built to promote sustainability, innovation and competitiveness, so that waste will cease to be a problem and become a resource” she added.”

In terms of packaging waste, MEPs propose that at least 70% of so-called municipal waste – from households and businesses, should be recycled, repurposed – fixed, cleaned and/or repaired, rather than simply thrown away. However, targets are even higher for packaging materials like paper, cardboard, glass, metal and wood, which have an 80% target for 2030.

In terms of the landfilling, the draft law limits the share of municipal waste to be landfilled to 10% by 2030. MEPs propose reducing this to 5%, albeit with a possible five-year extension, under certain conditions, for member states which landfilled more than 65% of their municipal waste in 2013.

The four reports adopted on Tuesday represent Parliament’s negotiating position, ahead of negotiations with Council of ministers, which yet has to adopt its own position.

The measures – which also include mandatory separate collection of bio-waste, textiles and waste oils, the possibility for binding targets on reducing food waste to be introduced by 2020 as opposed to the weaker non-binding targets that currently exist, as well an incentives to reduce total waste generation, reduce excessive packaging and introduce mandatory sorting systems for all packing materials – have been welcomed by environmental campaign group, Friends of the Earth Europe.

It says that although it’s pleased Parliament voted through stronger recycling, food waste and landfill objectives, “significant gaps” still remain that could allow waste to be unnecessarily sent to landfill and incineration, and leave the growth in bio-based packaging unchecked.

“This is a welcome boost for recycling and waste reduction in Europe. The European Council needs to step up to the plate to ensure these more ambitious proposals become European law, and improve measures to prevent waste going to landfill and incineration,” says Meadhbh Bolger, resource justice campaigner.

“Promoting the substitution of packaging such as conventional plastics, with bio-based materials is a false solution. These materials do have a role to play, but reducing consumption and preventing waste generation should be the priority, rather than lip-service to green principles.”

Environment Ministers from all EU Member States are holding ongoing discussions, and are likely to come to a final opinion on the waste laws later this year before entering negotiations discussions with the Parliament and Commission.