Indicators and targets for waste prevention in Nordic countries

1. Indicators and targets for waste prevention in Nordic countries Waste Prevention Webinar 24. April David Watson, CRI

2. Background Project: • Copenhagen Resource Institute and Lund University, Sweden commissioned by Nordic Council of Ministers, 2012 Objective: • Aid Nordic countries in selection of targets and indicators for inclusion in waste prevention programmes for four waste fractions: • C&D • Food • WEEE • Textiles • Indicators should be relevant and practicable 2

3. Methodology Input from Expert Group • What exists already? • What scope should be covered by indicators/targets for each stream? • Which indicator types are most relevant to each stream? • Data availability? • RACER assessment for potential indicators • Analysis of target/indicator pairs • Final recommendation of target/indicator pairs 3

4. Waste prevention definition “Measures taken before a substance, material or product has become waste that reduce: • the quantity of waste, including through the reuse of products or the extension of life span of products: • the adverse impacts of the generated waste on the environment and human health; or • the content of harmful substances in materials and products” (Article 3 Paragraph 12). 4

5. Indicator Typology Part 1 of definition Part 2 Part 3 All • Output-based indicator: waste generation indicator - absolute quantities or per capita or per household • Input-based indicator: changes in consumption of goods or resources which end up in this waste stream • Input-versus-output indicator: waste output per unit input (physical quantities) • Decoupling indicator: output or input per unit GDP or some other economic variable • Impacts indicator: changes in environmental impacts of generated waste • Hazardous content indicator: changes in the hazardous contents of products which end as waste • Response indicator: indicators measuring political actions taken to deliver waste prevention 5

6. Literature review • Few indicators proposed, even fewer are operational. Most for C&D waste (5) fewest for textiles (2 general indicators; 0 textile specific) • All but one indicator related to part a) of the waste prevention definition • Indicators include: output, input versus output, decoupling and response indicators • Few targets proposed for any waste stream apart from food: Food 11 targets; Textiles 1 one target • All targets fall under part a) of waste prevention definition • Most targets relate to output, input and input versus output type variables. A few response based targets. Some targets concrete and well-defined – others are vague • No targets have been related to a corresponding indicator!!!!! 6

7. Scope of indicators/targets 7

8. Relevant indicator types Input-indicator √ Food Waste Output-indicator √ Input-vs-output √ Material input Food waste Waste output Decoupling √ Hazardous X ~1-2 years Input-indicator √ C&D Waste Output-indicator ? Material input Demolition waste output Input-vs-output ? Construction waste output Decoupling √ Hazardous √ 40 years 8

9. Data availability 9

10. Proposals 10

11. Food waste Reduce avoidable food waste from households by x% or x tonnes by year y, compared to base year y0 • best-needed indicator ‘Avoidable food waste generation per household (capita/food industry/hospitality sector)’ • best-available indicator ‘food consumption in kg/capita/year’ Reduce the amount of food waste from households by x% or x tonnes by year y • best-neededindicator ‘Amounts of food waste generated per household (capita/food industry/hospitality sector)’ • best-available indicator ‘food consumption in kg/capita/year’ Reduce the cost of avoidable food waste to households by x% by year y • best-needed indicator ‘Economic value of avoidable household food waste (Euro/capita/year)’ 11

12. Food waste Increase government budget used for waste prevention measures by x% by year y, • best-needed indicator ‘Government (local authority, etc.) budget used on food waste prevention activities’ Increase the number of enterprises signing voluntary commitments on food waste prevention by x (number or %) by year y • best-needed indicator ‘Number of enterprises signed (actively involved in) food waste prevention voluntary agreements’ 12

13. C&D waste Reduce waste generation from the construction sector by x% annually • best-available indicator ‘“C&DW generation per unit Gross Value Added (GVA) in the construction sector Increase the material efficiency in construction with x% by year y • best-neededindicator on ‘Material consumption in the construction of buildings versus the area of new construction’ • best-available indicator the ‘Domestic extraction of construction materialsper floor area of new buildings’ Reduce the hazardous content of construction materials by x% annually • best-available response-based indicator ‘Number of new buildings and sales of building materials certified by labelling schemes which limit quantities of hazardous or harmful substances’ 13

14. C&D waste Increase life span of buildings with x years and roads with z years by year y • best-needed indicator on ‘Average design life expectancy of buildings and roads’ 14

15. WEEE Reduce the consumption of EEE (in kg) by x% by year y • best-available indicator “Amount of EEE put on the market (kg) per capita” Increase the re-use of EEE by x% by year y • best-needed indicator ‘Amount of re-used EEE sold’ Reduce the WEEE generation by x% by year y • best-needed indicator ‘WEEE generation (kg) per capita’ • best-available indicator ‘Collection of WEEE (kg) per capita’ can be used as a proxy. 15

16. WEEE Reduce the content of hazardous substances in EEE by x% by year y • best-neededindicator ‘Hazardous substances found in EEE (% weight/total weight of EEE)’ Increase the material efficiency in EEE by x% by year y • best-needed indicator ‘WEEE generation (kg) versus EEE put on the market (euros) per capita’ 16

17. Textiles waste Reduce generation of waste from clothing and home textiles from households by x% or x tonnes by year y • best-neededindicator “Textiles waste generation from households per capita per year” • best-availableindicator ‘New textile products (by weight) put on the market per capita per year’ as a proxy indicator Reduce consumption of new textiles by x% or x kg/capita by year y • best-available indicator ‘New textile products (by weight) put on the market per capita per year’ Increase the purchase of high quality over budget low quality textiles products • best-availableindicator ‘Household expenditure on textile products per tonne of textile products put on the market’ 17

18. Textiles waste Increase the share of second-hand products in total sales of textiles by x% by year y • best-neededindicator on ‘Share (by value) of second-hand products in total textile products put on the market’ Increase the number of products certified with labels requiring reduced use of hazardous substances in textiles production by x% by year y • best-available indicator Textile product models certified by eco-labelling schemes relevant to the Nordic countries (Nordic Swan, Swedish Good Environmental Choice, EU Flower) 18

19. Thank you! Copenhagen Resource InstituteBørsgade 4DK-1215 Copenhagen KTel. +45 72 54 61 67dawat@etc.mim.dk E-mail: info@cri.dk www.cri.dk