London Wider Waste Strategy - London - Greater London Authority

• A Thematic Strategy on waste recycling to include the following types of actions:
Identify which wastes should be recycled as a priority, based on criteria which are linked
to the resource management priorities and to the results of analyses that identify where
recycling produces an obvious net environmental benefit, and to the ease and cost of
recycling the wastes.
Formulate policies and measures that ensure that the collection and recycling of these
priority waste streams occurs, including indicative recycling targets and monitoring
systems to track and compare progress by Member States.
Identify policies and instruments to encourage the creation of markets for recycled
materials.
2.21. In response to the last of these proposals, in May 2003 the European Commission
adopted an interim Communication entitled ‘Towards a Thematic Strategy on the
Prevention and Recycling of Waste’. The objective was ‘to launch a process of
consultation of the Community institutions and of waste management stakeholders to
contribute to the development of a comprehensive and consistent policy on waste
prevention and recycling.’ Section 5 of the Communication introduced a framework for
the future thematic strategy and highlighted the main issues for discussion, on which
stakeholder comments were invited.
2.22. Broadly, the Communication proposed that the future Thematic Strategy should be
structured around four ‘building blocks’:
• Block 1. Core instruments to promote waste prevention.
• Block 2. Core instruments to promote waste recycling.
• Block 3. Measures to close the waste recycling standards gap.
• Block 4. Accompanying measures to promote waste prevention and recycling.
2.23. Waste prevention instruments referred to in the Communication include economic
instruments such as pricing, information campaigns, the ‘Registration, Evaluation and
Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH)’ initiative, waste management plans at the level of
sectors or individual enterprises (e.g. through the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme,
EMAS), although the Communication notes that in general there are not many practical
examples of instruments which could lead to significant quantitative reductions of waste
generation and in which the Community could play a role. The communication also
notes the potential for qualitative prevention of waste, such as replacing hazardous
materials in manufacturing with less hazardous materials, possibly implemented through
the IPPC permitting system.
2.24. Waste recycling instruments referred to include landfill taxes (noting the need for
complementary measures to prevent all waste being diverted to incineration), improved
producer responsibility, tradable certificates (noting the UK’s implementation of these
for packaging waste and biodegradable MSW), incentive systems, and prescriptive
instruments such as landfill bans for certain wastes.
2.25. Waste recycling standard instruments are measures to ensure a level playing field
between recycling and other waste operations. Instruments referred to include
extension of the IPPC Directive to the whole waste sector, determination of quality
standards for recycling, and the possibility of setting EU-wide emission limits for some
processes.
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