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.

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.