Waste Targets

In 2020 DEFRA, DAERA, the Welsh Government and Scottish Government issued a joint statement setting out the UK's intention to move towards a more circular economy. The intention was to transpose EU targets into the UK[1].

Since this time, each country of the UK has developed its own strategies as a result of waste being a devolved matter.

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European

The majority of current targets are enshined in the 2018 Circular Enocomy Package, which built upon the 2015 EU Action Plan[2]

Key Targets

  • A common EU target for recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2030;
  • A common EU target for recycling 75% of packaging waste by 2030;
  • There are also recycling targets for specific packaging materials by 2030:
    • Paper and cardboard: 85 %
    • Ferrous metals: 80 %
    • Aluminium: 60 %
    • Glass: 75 %
    • Plastic: 55 %
    • Wood: 30 %
  • A binding landfill target to reduce landfill to a maximum of 10% of municipal waste by 2030;
  • Separate collection obligations are strengthened and extended to hazardous household waste (by end 2022), bio-waste (by end 2023), textiles (by end 2025).
  • Minimum requirements are established for extended producer responsibility schemes to improve their governance and cost efficiency.
  • Prevention objectives are significantly reinforced, in particular, requiring Member States to take specific measures to tackle food waste

Latest Additional Targets

  • A Europe-wide EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy and annex to transform the way plastics and plastic products are designed, produced, used and recycled. By 2030, all plastics packaging should be recyclable.
  • A Communication on options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation that assesses how the rules on waste, products and chemicals relate to each other.
  • A Monitoring Framework on progress towards a circular economy at EU and national level.
  • A Report on Critical Raw Materials and the circular economy that highlights the potential to make the use of the 27 critical materials in the economy more circular.
  • A proposal for a Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment - implementation of the EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy

UK

The Circular Economy Package Policy Statement[1] makes a commitment to transpose the Circular Economy Package into the UK[1].

Joint Policy Statement

Whilst the joint policy statement[1] sets out an intent and points to the broad approach towards transposing/adopting the targets of the EU on a country by country basis (bearing in mind the complexities introduced by waste being a devolved matter) no specific detail or targets are set at a UK level other than for Packaging Waste, Batteries and WEEE which are set out further on the linked pages).

The historical target adoped by the UK for recycling 50% of muncipal waste by 2020 was overtaken by the exit of the UK from the EU - although reporting indicated this target would not have been met by the UK as a whole. In addition, historical target deadlines on Biodegradeable MSW to landfill and recycling of C&D waste have also fallen away.

England

The current policies and strategies are set out below. A Circular Economy Taskforce was established to deliver an evidence based actionable Strategy (targetted for Autumn 2025 but not yet published). Its scope includes delivering a set of metrics so that the UK government can measure England's progress towards a circular economy, and propose targets at national and local levels[3].

Overall Ambition

The Resource and Waste Strategy[4] sets out an intent, alongside the 25 year Environmental Plan, to:

  • Eliminating avoidable plastic waste
  • Doubling resource productivtiy
  • Eliminating avoidable waste of all types by 2050
  • Set out the intention to introduce a plastic packaging tax
  • Set out the intention to deliver consistent collection of dry recyclables (ultimately being delivered through Simpler Recycling)
  • Meet UN the Sustainable Development Goal to halve food waste at consumer and retail levels by 2030
  • Commitment to recycle 65% of municipal waste and no more than 10% to landfill by 2035

Residual Waste

The 25 year Environment Plan, and in turn the Environment Act 2021, set a long term target for the reduction of residual waste - by the end of 31st December 2042 the total mass of residual waste for the calendar year 2042 should not exceed 287 kilograms per head of population in England

Under 25 year Environment Plan interim targets were also to be set, and these have been broken down into a 2027 target for the residual waste figure and a 2029 target for each material type in residual MSW. Read more here on the detail and the progress reported to date.

The Clean Growth Strategy

The Clean Growth Strategy[5] introduced a number of policy intents with direct ramifications for the waste sector:

  • Deploying CCUS at scale in the UK (relevance to EfW sector)
  • Support the recycling of heat and the development of heat networks (relevance to EfW and AD sectors) - including reform of the RHI
  • Target carbon price for power sector (relevance to the inclusion of incineration of waste into the UK ETS from 2028)
  • Zero avoidable waste by 2050
  • Reduce emissions from landfill
  • Voluntary public sector target of a 30% reduction in carbon emissions

Scotland

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024[6] is enabling legislation that sets the framework for consulting on and setting the strategy and imposing key targets, via regulations, related to waste. New circular economy targets are planned for 2027.

Current Position

The Scottish Government had a consultation in 2022 to deliver a route map to 2025, and then a further consultation on a draft route map to 2030[7]. The current Circular Economy Strategy was published in March 2026[3] and is broad-based policy document with no specific targets[8].

The 2025 and 2030 route maps are action focused rather than target focused, but the main targets are set out as:

  • 15% reduction of all waste by 2025, against 2011 levels
  • 33% reduction of food waste by 2025, based on 2013 baseline
  • Minimum of 60% recycling of household waste by 2020
  • Minimum of 70% recycling of all waste by 2025
  • Maximum 5% of all waste to landfill by 2025
  • A ban on all biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill by 31st December 2025 (effectively dealyed until 31st December 2028[9]
  • Achieve net zero by 2045 (requirng a halving of waste sector emissions by 2032)

Wales

Current Targets are captured in Beyond Recycling - 'A Stratgey to make the circular economy in Wales a reality'[10]

Headline Actions

  1. We will support businesses in Wales to reduce their carbon footprint by becoming more resource efficient.
  2. We will provide the tools to enable community action.
  3. We will phase out unnecessary single-use items, especially plastic.
  4. We will eradicate avoidable food waste
  5. We will procure on a basis which prioritises goods and products which are made from remanufactured, refurbished and recycled materials or come from low carbon and sustainable materials like wood
  6. We will strive to achieve the highest rates of recycling in the world.
  7. We will reduce the environmental impact of the waste collection from our homes and businesses.
  8. We will take full responsibility for our waste.

Key Targets

The following are set against a 2006/7 baseline:

By 2025

  • 26% reduction in waste
  • Zero waste to landfill
  • 50% reduction in avoidable food waste
  • 70% recycling (for households, commercial and industrial businesses)

By 2030

  • 33% reduction in waste
  • 60% reduction in avoidable food waste

By 2050

  • One planet resource use
  • 62% reduction in the waste
  • Zero waste (no waste requiring landfill or energy recovery)
  • Net zero carbon

Performance - Key Points

  • LACMW recycling exceeded 64% target in 2020 (65.1%) (68.4% in 2025, below the 70% target)[11]
  • Commercial and Industrial Waste Recycling 67% in 2020
  • 87% of Construction and Demolition Waste recycled in 2020

Northern Ireland

The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 [12] sets the key targets, with a further document setting Short, Medium and Long-term options for recycling policy [13].

Current Position

The EU circular economy package was transposed into Northern Ireland by amending the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 that embedded the requirement to recycle 65% of municipal waste, and reduce landfill to less than 10%, by 2035.

New recycling targets went to consultation in June 2024 and publication and adoption of policy direction are yet to be published[14].

References:

  1. Circular Economy Package policy statement (.gov website Jul 2020)
  2. Directive (EU) 2018/ of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste
  3. Circular Economy Taskforce Terms of Reference (PDF Dec 2024)
  4. Resources and waste strategy: at a glance (.gov website Dec 2018)
  5. Green Growth Strategy (Oct 2017 PDF)
  6. Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
  7. Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: consultation (Jan 2024)
  8. A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland (Mar 2026 PDF)
  9. SEPA Briefing Position with link to guidance document
  10. Beyond Recycling - 'A Stratgey to make the circular economy in Wales a reality' (2021)
  11. Local authority municipal waste management: April 2024 to March 2025 (gov.wales Jan 2026)
  12. The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 - Key elements (DAERA website)
  13. Overview of Short- Medium- & Long-Term Options for Recycling Policy in Northern Ireland (Sept 2022 PDF)
  14. Recycling - Circular Economy Package (CEP) Municipal Waste Recycling Targets (DAERA website)