MEPs seek ban on incineration of recyclables

Europe – Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have asked the European Commission to ban incineration of recyclable and biodegradable waste by 2020 as part of its new circular economy proposals.

The European Parliament’s environment committee has voted to ask the Commission to retain ambitious recycling targets proposed by the previous EU executive. The new package should increase targets for recycling and preparation for reuse to at least 70% for municipal solid waste and to 80% for packaging waste by 2030.

Landfilling should be gradually reduced from 2020 onwards with a view to a 2030 ban on all landfilling – with the exception of hazardous waste and some residual waste for which landfilling is the best treatment option from the point of view of the environment, say MEPs.

MEPs have backed the introduction of a 2030 target to increase resource efficiency by 30% above 2014 levels, with national targets for each member state. They urged the Commission to propose resource efficiency indicators to measure resource consumption from 2018.

Industry lobby group PlasticsEurope welcomed the MEPs’ call to end landfilling of recyclables, arguing that no valuable materials such as plastics should be landfilled after 2025.