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.

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.

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.