Trash talk

EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik talks to EU Infrastructure about the current state of the Union’s waste management sector, its biodiversity awareness, its green successes and the work that is still to be done.

“While the front-runners have achieved zero landfilling of untreated waste for some years now, others are still dumping over 90 percent of their secondary resources into a hole in the ground.”

The role of European Commissioner for the Environment is undoubtedly a challenging one. The European Union, lest we forget, is a political and economic entity comprised of 27 separate member states, each with their own unique climate, landscape, wealth, culture and history. Getting them all to agree on matters of any import takes time, careful negotiation, persuasiveness and more bureaucracy than you could shake a stuffed Manila file folder at.

As Greece's recent financial woes have proved, a shared commonality with 26 other countries is not always for the best, especially when other countries have greater resources, a greater understanding or more knowledge on a particular subject or issue. Overcoming these disparate starting points and achieving a collective goal cannot be easy.

Each country has its own set of priorities, and where the environment is concerned, member states like Germany (stalwarts and co-founders of the EU) and Bulgaria (joined as recently as 2007) are poles apart. So how does the EU ensure that it delivers a harmonised strategy that all of its members can abide by? Janez Potocnik is the current European Commissioner for the Environment at the EU and has faced a number of challenges since ascending to the post in 2009. "Designing our policies in an environmentally friendly way is one of the basic objectives of the EU - protection and improvement of the environment are important elements of the EU treaty," says Mr. Potocnik. "Sustainable development is based on three pillars: environmental, economic, and socio-economic. We need to constantly assess if these three pillars are considered in the right balance in different policy areas, such as, for example, trade, industry, energy, agriculture and many others.

"The challenge for me is to develop - together with my fellow Commissioners - policy options that can create opportunities for economic growth and environmental protection alike; the aim is for a flourishing but more resource-efficient and greener economy. This is best explained by one particular example - the proper management of waste. If waste is managed well it provides price-competitive recycled materials, significant emissions of greenhouse gases are avoided and pollution is minimised, thus helping biodiversity while creating jobs and employment."

Attitudes towards waste management no doubt differ throughout the continent: in some countries this is a hot topic; an issue that is at the forefront of the minds of most individuals and businesses, while in others the notion of 'managing' waste rather than simply 'disposing' of it prevails. Mr. Potocnik is faced with the challenge of changing this imbalance, tackling attitudes throughout the EU and engendering a more proactive view of waste management. "One of the biggest and most challenging steps we face is the new Waste Framework Directive. The directive lays down 'measures to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste and by reducing overall impacts of resource use and improving the efficiency of such use'. This means that not only has waste management to be an environmentally acceptable process in itself but it also needs to contribute to a more efficient and 'greener' use of natural resources. Waste prevention and recycling are good examples of this."

Issuing and developing an EU-wide waste directive is just the first step; implementing, managing and advertising the need to better manage waste quickly becomes the biggest challenge, reveals Mr. Potocnik. "The directive requires Member States' waste policies to be aligned with what we call a 'waste hierarchy'.  This means that preference should be given to waste prevention, followed in descending order by preparing waste for re-use, recycling, other recovery (for example energy recovery), and disposal such as landfill as the last resort. The directive will become national law across the European Union by the end of this year. It should encourage a fundamental change in attitudes towards present policies in many Member States, notably those who still rely heavily on waste management with low environmental value, such as landfilling or inefficient incineration.

"It's not just a matter for the authorities - every citizen can contribute to better waste management, for example by engaging in separate collection of waste for recycling. We set the frame through legislation on packaging waste, waste batteries, electronic waste and old cars. But citizens need to participate if the full environmental potential of separate waste collection schemes is to be realised.

"Last but not least is the issue of waste prevention. We are encouraging less wasteful production processes and product design. These must be complemented by less wasteful consumer attitudes. Some studies indicate that households could save hundreds of euros each year through simple changes of attitudes in purchasing food. It would be good for their budgets and would help avoid environmental damage due to unnecessary food production."

Such a unified framework towards waste management is a nice idea in principle, but Mr. Potocnik is realistic in his aims. He knows that some member states are more proactive than others. "Producing large amounts of waste is often associated with low overall productivity of the national economy," he says. "Simply put, the most resource efficient member states are often those which also have the most advanced waste management policy. So a thriving economy and environmentally good waste management are not only compatible, they also reinforce each other. In Germany, for example, nearly half of the copper comes from recycled scrap. This brings significant energy savings, which is good for the climate, and it avoids unnecessary mining of copper ore that may help protect bio-diversity.

"At EU level we have a comprehensive system of regulations that enables all member states to have advanced waste policies, but political will is needed if they are to be effective. One example is the attitude to landfills: while the front-runners have achieved zero landfilling of untreated waste for some years now, others are still dumping over 90% of their secondary resources into a hole in the ground."

Improving attitudes

While the EU's directives are clear-cut, the commission allows some flexibility for each member state to initiate and implement its own strategies within the parameters of the framework, an approach that Mr. Potocnik believes allows for responsibility, freedom of choice and a fostering of trust between nations. "EU directives leave a lot of discretion to individual member states in terms of detailed implementation. This is encouraged because frame conditions vary a lot across the Union - just think of geographical conditions, climate, population density and traditional consumption patterns. However, with this freedom comes the responsibility to take EU law seriously. Take the example of bio-waste from kitchens and gardens: this waste can be extremely problematic for the climate if it is left to decompose in a landfill. On the other hand it can deliver valuable compost and bio-gas if managed well. It is remarkable to see how well some member states exploit this environmental and economic opportunity, while others do not do enough, although they all have the same EU legislation at their disposal.

"I have made it one of my priorities to work with all member states towards the best possible implementation of EU environmental legislation. For this purpose I will further encourage and support dialogue between the front-runners and those who would like to learn from their experience. I should add that we hold over 30 meetings every year in Brussels where experts from national waste management authorities come to exchange experiences and learn from each other. Together with them we are continuously checking the legislation and, where needed, adapting and modernising it.

"But the Commission is also the guardian of the EU treaty. Where we find continuous under-performance and violation of EU law, I have to intervene. Legal proceedings are a last resort." Although a last resort, the legal framework that the EU Environment Commission has in place is binding and should act as enough of a deterrent for every member state. However, Mr. Potocnik reveals that there are still unacceptable shortfalls throughout the Union. "Not only are the differences between the implementation and enforcement of the legislation unacceptably large - a situation which is bad for the environment - but it also distorts the competition in the internal market. The present crisis should teach us that we can no longer allow short-sighted economic solutions such as landfilling, when structurally sound long-term investments, for example in recovery and recycling schemes, produce more value, generate more jobs and are environmentally superior."

Top priorities

Since ascending to the role of EU Environment Commissioner, Mr. Potocnik has identified three main priorities that he believes could and should be tackled during his tenure, these being biodiversity, resource efficiency and implementation of EU Environment law. On the issue of biodiversity, Mr. Potocnik is effusively positive at the potential impact increased awareness of this mandate can have. "This year is the UN International Year of Biodiversity. In October 2010, the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity will be held in Nagoya. The aim of this meeting will be to establish a global strategy to halt biodiversity loss and to agree on common targets.

"In mid-March 2010, the European Environment Ministers agreed on a new long-term vision and mid-term headline target for biodiversity in the EU for the period beyond 2010, when the current target expires. The new target looks to 'halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, restore them in so far as is feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss'. At the end of March, the European Council committed to this EU post-2010 vision and target and underscored the urgent need to reverse continuing trends of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

"Concretely, the European Commission plans to propose a post 2010 EU Biodiversity Policy by the end of 2010 or early 2011." The decline of biodiversity in Europe is an often-overlooked issue, particularly among the media and, by association, the general public, but the fact remains that biodiversity is an important issue for the continent, and one that Mr. Potocnik would like to see addressed more seriously. "In order to raise awareness about the decline in biodiversity (31% of Europe's butterfly species are declining, more than 40% of our birds are threatened, only 4% of our natural forests remains), and what implications this may have on our lives and economies, the European Commission is running a public awareness-raising campaign. We have a website available in all EU languages [ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/campaign/] and events have or will be launched across the EU."

The issue of resource efficiency is ostensibly very simple, but one that Mr. Potocnik is aware can easily be overlooked or misunderstood. "Resource efficiency is a key part of the EU2020 strategy, which aims to transform Europe into a knowledge-based, resource-efficient economy. Simply put, it is about using less of what we have to achieve the same output, or even greater - a sort of 'common sense revolution'. This way of thinking has to be applied to our energy consumption, our natural resources (biodiversity, clean air and water), and waste management.

"Resource efficiency is not only about environmental protection, but needs to be integrated horizontally into other EU policy areas, such as agriculture, transport, fisheries, regional policy etc. The European Commission aims to put forward a Roadmap for a Resource efficient Europe in 2011."

The third and final priority identified by Mr. Potocnik's commission is the implementation of EU Environment legislation and law. "The EU Environment legislation is extensive and has direct and concrete consequences on many aspects of European citizens' lives. Some 80 percent of environmental laws that exist in EU Member States originate at EU level. We spend years negotiating between Member States before agreeing on a common direction. It is important that these agreements are followed up, and are fully and correctly implemented and enforced in all EU Member States. This is one of the tasks of the European Commission, as guardian of the Treaties. Upon a breach of EU law, the European Commission launch an infringement procedure against the Member State that has failed to comply with EU regulations. On average, 20 percent of all infringement cases relate to breaches of EU Environment law."

Waste, energy and awareness

With raised awareness comes a greater scrutiny and responsibility to see through actions and plans. The EU Environment Commission certainly has the vision and the manpower in place in order to affect change, as well as the technology and cooperation of most Member States. The next challenge, believes Mr. Potocnik, lies in encouraging greater adoption of new techniques and a wider understanding of the potential of technology. "Technologies are continually developing, but there is also a need to encourage innovation and dissemination, refining known technologies and making them more widely available on the market. One example is refinements to current thermal processes like gasification and pyrolisis. Another example is bio-refineries, where thermal and biochemical processes are used to produce a wide range of chemical products from biodegradable waste, including second generation biofuels. Or there is the well-established example of anaerobic digestion technology for production of biogas. But the success of these technologies in the market may depend on the carbon market or renewable energy subsidies.

"We are also seeing considerable progress in technologies which allow for more efficient use of energy that has already been generated (co-generation, heat recovery, energy efficient devices etc.). EU legislation is facilitating their entrance to the market."

Another technology and technique that can be easily adopted and adapted by EU Member States is the proper management of bio-waste, which is something that holds great environmental and economic opportunities, believes Mr. Potocnik. "Good management approaches [toward bio-waste] can turn a serious problem, i.e. uncontrolled climate-gas emissions, into benefits for European soils from high quality compost, renewable energy from bio-gas or combinations of both. The Commission presented its analysis with recommendations for authorities and operators a month ago. The Communication clearly shows that all the necessary legal instruments are in place, and that it is up to national authorities to make full use of them.

"Several Member States are already showing that excellent bio-waste management is possible if the law is applied correctly and rigorously. I am keen to see how this communication will be used by the different actors involved. Our investigations confirmed that the maximum benefits are achieved when bio-waste is collected separately and not contaminated by other waste. I have asked my services to assess if legal provisions for such separate collection can be developed to further assist Member States."

The future

With such a clear set of goals for the EU's waste management progress and biodiversity awareness, Mr. Potocnik can be rightly proud and excited about what the coming years hold. Greater Member States' awareness is a perpetual goal, but the signs are that all nations within the EU are keen to pull together to help implement EU Environment legislation and improve their green credentials. There is still work to do, however, before Mr. Potocnik is fully satisfied.

"There are three exciting steps ahead of us," he says. "One is the imminent review of the long-term strategic basis for our waste policy. This will result in a progress report on our present 'Thematic Strategy for the Prevention and Recycling of Waste' by the end of this year, followed by a full review in 2012. Secondly, Member States have to transpose the new Waste Framework Directive into national law by December this year. This is arguably one of the most modern pieces of waste management legislation in the world. It will be a big challenge and an incredible opportunity for the EU and Member States alike to make it work and reap its benefits - we foresee a ten-year process until its last measures, a new set of recycling targets, will be fully operational. The third step is a comprehensive overview of our waste legislation in the next few years. We want to be sure that we are aiming at the right problems, that we are employing the right instruments and measures and that we are setting ourselves the right targets for making the best possible contribution to greening the economy and improving Europe's resource efficiency."

Exciting times indeed. Tangible achievement of these aims will spur the Member States on to greater things - better awareness, more integrated policies, increased civilian participation and the realisation of a greener future for all. There is still a long way to go, but Mr. Potocnik is happy with the strides that have been made. "Over the last decade or so, the EU waste management industry has been a major success story," he concludes. "It has provided continuous growth when many other sectors were struggling. I hope that this positive trend will continue - what could be more indicative of a greening economy than a sector that is thriving because it contributes to better environmental protection and better management of natural resources? I see a very dynamic future for this sector - it will probably evolve from 'simply' managing the waste that others are producing into one of the key players when it comes to managing the overall life cycle of material and energy resources. For this it will be necessary to establish a level playing field on the internal market as well as internationally.

"There must be fair competition between primary and secondary resources, giving full credit to the environmental benefits created by re-use, recycling and recovery. I believe that the key elements for this process are in place; my hope is that together we will make best use of them."

 

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FAST FACTS

The EU disposes of three billion tonnes of waste annually; 90 million tonnes of which are hazardous (source: Eurostat statistics)

This equates to approximately six tonnes of solid waste per year for every man, woman and child (source: Eurostat statistics)

10% - the increase in waste generated in Europe between 1990 and 1995 (source: OECD)

Estimates by the OECD predict that the EU will produce 45% more waste in 2020 than we did in 1995.

67% of waste is either burnt in incinerators or dumped in landfill sites rather than managed appropriately (source: EU Commission)

Municipal waste generation in Germany and The Netherlands fell in the 1990s, and continues to fall today (source: EU Commission)