Waste Framework Directive
The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) 2008/98/EC sets out the basic principles and definitions related to waste management, such as definitions of Waste, Recycling and Recovery etc. It explains when waste ceases to be waste and becomes a secondary raw material (so called End of Waste Criteria), and how to distinguish between waste and products.
The Directive lays down some basic waste management principles; it requires waste be managed without endangering human health and the environment, and without risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals, without causing a nuisance through noise or odours and without adversely affecting the countryside or places of interest.
Most notably the (WFD) provides the definition of waste in Art 3(1) as Waste which is "any substance or object that the holder discards, intends to discard or is required to discard".
The WFD introduced the Waste Hierarchy – the priority order by which all waste legislation and policies throughout the EU are managed.
Introduced the target of achieving a 50% recycling rate of Municipal Solid Waste by 2020.
The WFD also presented the four ‘principles’ in which European countries should approach waste management:
- Prevention Principle - waste production must be minimised and avoided where possible.
- Producer Responsibility and Polluter Pays Principle - those who produce the waste or contaminate the environment should pay the full costs for their actions and impacts.
- Precautionary Principle - where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, a lack of full scientific certainty must not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
- Proximity Principle - waste should be disposed of as closely as possible to where it is produced.
The WFD also lists the full suite of Disposal and Recovery Operations (D Codes and R Codes) in Annex I and II respectively.
The requirements of the WFD are enacted into legislation by the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 in England and Wales and The Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011 and The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012.
Directive 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the council of 30 May 2018 amended the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC and included changes regarding sustainable materials and efficient use of resources, incentives and charges, re-use, producer responsibility, education, and obligations to separately collect paper, metal, plastic and glass.