17 December 2014: According to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), 18 of 31 countries had adopted waste prevention programmes by the end of 2013, as required by the EU Waste Framework Directive. Most of the programmes approach waste prevention through an aim to “decouple” waste generation from economic growth.

The report, titled ‘Waste prevention in Europe – the status in 2013,’ finds that the waste prevention programmes differ significantly in detail, coverage, objectives and time horizon. The majority of the programmes are concerned with information and awareness raising, with regulatory or economic policy instruments mentioned less frequently. Quantitative targets and corresponding monitoring schemes are often lacking.

Waste prevention is a primary objective of European policy’s ‘waste hierarchy,’ which lists waste management objectives in order of priority. For example, if waste cannot be prevented, it should be reused or prepared for reuse, recycled, incinerated with energy recovery, or disposed of in a landfill. The goal is to move up within this hierarchy, and by 2020, waste generation is expected to be in ‘absolute decline.’

The report’s findings suggest that national initiatives can be substantially improved, and that additional efforts should address target setting, monitoring and funding upstream prevention measures.

The report covers EU members as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. [EEA Press Release] [Waste prevention in Europe: The Status in 2013]