EU states still falling short on waste recycling targets, auditors find – EUobserver

Report on European Union Waste Management and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A recent report from the European Court of Auditors indicates that the European Union is facing significant challenges in municipal waste management, directly impeding progress towards key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With each resident generating over 500kg of waste annually, many member states are at risk of failing to meet established recycling targets. This situation undermines the objectives of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), highlighting systemic issues related to funding, planning, and policy implementation across the bloc.

Analysis of Performance against SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The EU’s ambition to foster a circular economy is central to achieving SDG 12, particularly Target 12.5, which aims to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. However, current performance indicates a significant gap between goals and reality.

• Recycling Target Failure: The legally binding target to reuse or recycle 55 percent of municipal waste by 2025 is unlikely to be met by 18 member states, based on 2020 data. This failure represents a direct setback for achieving sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Waste Prevention Shortfalls: Despite waste prevention being an EU legal priority since 2008, per capita waste generation remains high, indicating insufficient progress on the reduction and prevention aspects of SDG 12.

Obstacles to Sustainable Waste Management (SDG 11 & SDG 12)

The report identifies multiple obstacles that prevent member states from achieving environmentally sound waste management as required by SDG 11, Target 11.6 (reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including waste management). These barriers also cripple the circular economy model essential for SDG 12.

1. Inadequate Infrastructure and Collection: The practice of separate waste collection, a prerequisite for effective recycling, remains extremely low in some regions, leading to high landfill rates.
2. Economic Disincentives: Fee structures often fail to reflect the true cost of waste management, providing little incentive for citizens and businesses to reduce waste generation.
3. A Struggling Recycling Industry: The economic viability of the recycling sector is under threat, which is a critical failure in building the green economy envisioned by SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). Key challenges include:
   • Scarcity of modern recycling facilities in some member states.
   • Rising operational costs for existing plants, particularly for plastics.
   • Weak market demand for recycled materials.
   • Intense competition from cheaper, non-EU primary materials and imports.

Policy Coherence and Governance Challenges (SDG 17)

Effective governance and coordinated policies are crucial for achieving the SDGs, as emphasized by SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The report highlights significant inconsistencies within the EU.

• Inconsistent National Policies: A wide disparity in national landfill taxes creates economic incentives for the transboundary shipment of waste, undermining a cohesive EU-wide strategy and promoting inefficient resource management. The auditors suggest harmonising these taxes to create a level playing field.
• Delayed Enforcement: The European Commission only initiated infringement proceedings in 2024 against eight countries for failing to meet 2008 waste prevention targets, indicating significant delays in policy enforcement.

Recommendations and Future Outlook

To align with its SDG commitments, the EU must address these challenges proactively. The report underscores that waste should not be viewed as something to be discarded but as a valuable resource for a circular economy.

• Strengthening the Circular Economy: The proposed 2026 Circular Economy Act must prioritize creating a viable business case for recyclers by identifying and removing barriers within the single market for recycled materials. This is essential for fostering innovation and infrastructure as per SDG 9.
• Resource Revalorization: A fundamental shift is required to treat waste as a resource that can be reused, remanufactured, or recycled, keeping materials in productive use for as long as possible and fulfilling the core mandate of SDG 12.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article directly addresses issues of urban waste management. It highlights the amount of waste generated per person in the EU (“Each EU resident generates over 500kg of rubbish annually”), which is a critical challenge for sustainable cities.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire discussion revolves around waste generation, recycling, reuse, landfills, and the transition to a “circular economy.” It explicitly mentions the failure to meet recycling targets and the need for waste prevention, which are core components of SDG 12.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article discusses the role of the European Union in setting laws and targets for member states. It points to issues of policy coherence and enforcement, such as the EU Commission beginning infringement proceedings and the auditors’ suggestion to harmonize landfill taxes across the bloc to create a functional single market for recycled materials.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

   The article’s focus on the generation of over 500kg of municipal rubbish per resident and the problems with managing this waste (dumping in landfills, failing recycling targets) directly relates to reducing the per capita environmental impact of cities.

2. Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

   This target is explicitly addressed. The article mentions the EU law requiring member states to ensure “55 percent of municipal waste is available for re-use or recycling by 2025.” It also notes that “waste prevention” has been an EU priority since 2008 and that the goal is to keep “materials in use for as long as possible.”

3. Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development.

   The article highlights a lack of policy coherence. For example, it notes the wide gap in national landfill taxes that encourages shipping waste between countries, undermining local recycling efforts. The auditors’ suggestion to “harmonise these taxes across member states” is a direct call for greater policy coherence. Furthermore, the delay in enforcement (infringement proceedings for 2008 targets only began in 2024) points to gaps in policy implementation.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Annual municipal waste generation per capita: The article states, “Each EU resident generates over 500kg of rubbish annually.” This figure is a direct indicator used to measure waste generation levels under Target 11.6 and Target 12.5.
• National recycling rate: The EU target that “55 percent of municipal waste is available for re-use or recycling by 2025” serves as a key performance indicator for Target 12.5. The article uses this indicator to report that “18 member states are at risk of not meeting this target.”
• Policy implementation and enforcement actions: The article implies an indicator for Target 17.14 by mentioning that the EU Commission began “infringement proceedings for the 2008 targets in 2024” against “eight countries.” The number of such proceedings can measure the enforcement of coherent sustainability policies.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: euobserver.com