News
12 Jul 2021

The review of the Waste Framework Directive is around the corner

While the review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive has already started, another important milestone is around the corner: the review of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), due in 2023. 

Last updated and amended in 2018, the Waste Framework Directive introduced new and more ambitious targets for reuse and recycling. To facilitate the achievement of these targets, the WFD states that “waste shall be subject to separate collection and shall not be mixed with other waste or other materials with different properties”. At EUROPEN, we believe that ensuring adequate waste collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructures for all packaging across the EU, together with minimum requirements on harmonised end-of-life infrastructures is key to support the implementation of the WFD and increase circularity.  

WHAT DID YOU MISS?  

  • The background work for the upcoming review of the Waste Framework Directive has started. The Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s in-house science and technology service, launched a study on the separate collection of municipal waste on behalf of the DG Environment. The JRC study kicked-off on 19 May 2021 with a stakeholder workshop to introduce the study’s objectives, its methodology and timing.  
  • The study will address producer-related issues (EPR, product labelling and design), consumer-related issues (waste flow identification, awareness raising, convenience and economic instruments), waste collection logistics matters (waste streams, collection frequencies, collection methods, etc.) and waste processing issues (sorting, recycling, recovery, disposal).  
  • The JRC is currently running a call for interest with interested stakeholders to constitute sub-working groups on priority topics that will support the JRC study and definition of measures for the harmonisation of municipal separate collection systems. The call for interest will close at the end of August 2021. The final report, which will include a list of proposed measures on harmonised EU rules for separate waste collection, is expected to be published in December 2022. 

WHAT’S NEXT? 

  • Q3-Q4 2022: The stakeholder sub-working groups will be given the opportunity to feed into the draft JRC report on harmonised separate waste collection before its finalisation at the end of 2022. The final report will include a list of proposed measures on harmonised EU rules for separate waste collection.