EU LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Under its Circular Economy Plans, the EU drives its member countries to increase their efforts for better waste management, re-use, & recycling.

Specific targets have been set for 2020. In particular:

• 50% of waste (by weight) prepared for re-use or recycled

("at least paper, metal, plastic and glass from households and possibly from other origins as far as these waste streams are similar to waste from households")

• 70% (by weight) of preparation for re-use, recycling and waste recovery

("including backfilling operations using waste to substitute other materials, of non-hazardous construction & demolition waste").

CHALLENGES

Environmental & economic burdens. In particular:

• Cost of Waste Collection & Transport
• Energy Cost of Waste Management
• GHG Emissions

WASTE COLLECTION METHODOLOGIES

Waste collection and treatment methods differ substantially across EU Member States.

Methodologies have developed from very simple means, to highly technological schemes with the separate collection of waste fractions.

Some very common methodologies existing in Europe today are:

• Drop-off systems
• Kerbside collection
• Buy-back Facilities

ICT TOOLS FOR WASTE COLLECTION

• Wireless sensors
• New communication technologies (3G, GPRS, GSM)
• Location technologies (GPS)
• Identification technologies (RFID)
• Geographical Information System (GIS)
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Web and Mobile applications

GUIDELINES / BEST PRACTICES