Home / News / News in brief / Circular economy

Waste management and circular economy

Circular economy - 22.11.2016

European Week for Waste Reduction: local governments' 6 proposals

This week is a very important week for our towns and regions’ environment: it is the European Week for Waste Reduction (#EWWR2016).

Back in June, CEMR, EUROCITIES and Municipal Waste Europe addressed the European Parliament so that they would take towns and regions’ needs into account for the future directive on waste and landfill. We put forth 6 proposals for better local waste management in Europe. Now, we are using this week as an opportunity to share our messages once more.

1. Broaden the definition of municipal waste to make the implementation of waste policies easier
2. Partnerships between waste producers and local governments need to make clear that all waste costs are covered (and not just “optimised costs”, like the current directives says)
3. To target other sectors than municipal waste in EU waste legislation, since 90% of waste in Europe is not municipal!
4. Increase funding availability for towns and cities
5. Create knowledge platforms to enable the exchange of best practices for a transition towards a circular economy
6. Set up waste prevention measures

The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is an initiative that aims to promote awareness-raising actions about sustainable resource and waste management, during the last week of November each year.

The plenary vote on the European directives on waste and landfill will take place in January 2017.