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EU focus on waste management

EU focus on waste management. European waste management is particularly challenging: environmental protection must be achieved without distroying the European internal market. The EU has firm principles upon which its approach to waste management is based.

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EU focus on waste management

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  1. EU focus on waste management

  2. European waste management is particularly challenging: environmental protection must be achieved without distroying the European internal market. The EU has firm principles upon which its approach to waste management is based.

  3. Prevention principle - minimum waste production. • Producer responsibility and polluter pays principle. • Precautionary principle - anticipating potencial problems. • Proximity principle – disposing waste close to where it is produced.

  4. The European Commission has defined several specific waste streams to receive priority attention. • Packaging waste • End-of-life vehicles • Batteries • Electrical and electronic waste • Hazardous household waste

  5. Packaging waste Packaging consumes raw materials during its manufacture, involves an increasing amount of non-degradable plastic and produces toxic emissions during incineration. Packaging is now estimated to form up to half the volume of municipal waste in Western Europe. Only 10-15 % of packaging waste is recovered.

  6. End-of-life vehicles The discussion is about how best to deal with our cars at the end of their lives.

  7. Batteries Batteries contain heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury and lead, which are harmful to human health and the environment if they are not collected and correctly disposed of.

  8. Electrical and electronic waste Discarded electrical and electronic equipment are doubling every 12 years. Such equipment contains significant amounts of all kinds of hazardous waste, including heavy metals and various halogenated substances. In addition, many raw materials are needed for the production of new equipment.

  9. Hazardous household waste Hazardous household waste includes batteries, oils, paints and out-of-date medicines.

  10. Waste treatment options • Landfill is likely to remain a disposal option for part of our waste, it requires a high standard to protect human health and the environment. • Incineration: in October 1998, the European Commission adopted a proposal on incineration of waste which updates and extends the scope of previous legislation on incineration of municipal waste.

  11. Waste transport Too much waste is still moved from place to place. In some countries, standards required for waste treatment or disposal are lower and therefore waste treatment or disposal is cheaper. Transport of waste should be minimised to reduce the risk of accidents and save resources. EU policy lays down that, within Europe, waste should be as close as possible to where it is produced( the proximity principle). Community legislation prohibits the shipment of: • All kinds of waste destined for disposal in non-OECD countries; • Hazardous waste for recovery in non-OECD countries.

  12. We need more shared action Waste generation is still to high and rising rapidly. The situation is becoming critical. Competent authorities must realise their responsibility to act and encourage others to take action before it is too late. All societal partners must now actively seek solutions for our own benefit and that of future generations. We share responsibility for our environment. Each one of us makes decisions and takes actions which affect the world around us.

  13. Actions we can all take every day to improve the situation include: • Minimising the amount of waste you generate. Using“Green” products and those with little packaging. • Reusing packaging where possible. • Collecting your waste separately for recycling. • Looking into the possibilities of composing organic matter. • Taking special care when disposing of hazardous household waste. • Asking your municipality what they are doing to improve the local waste situation.

  14. Credits CREDITS Andrea Asti Elisa Baitini Valentina Grasso 3° grade LICEO ISTITUTO “ E. FERMI “ Workshops in Castellanza 22-26 October 2007 Andrea Asti and Elisa Baitini. 3 Liceo Europeo Istituto “ E. Fermi “

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