Consultation Session: Waste Management

The Malta-EU
Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC), together with the Malta Environment
& Planning Authority (MEPA) and the Ministry for Sustainable Development,
the Environment and Climate Change (MSDEC) have organised a consultation
session on the Proposal for a Directive amending Directives:

2008/98/EC on
waste

94/62/EC on packaging and packaging
waste

1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste

2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles

2006/66/EC on batteries and
accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators

2012/19/EU on waste electrical and
electronic equipment

This
consultation session focused on how the EU is aiming to shift into a circular
economy, boost recycling, secure access to raw materials whilst also create
jobs and enhance economic growth. It will also take into consideration the
preparation of Malta's position on this EU proposal.

The main
elements of the proposal include:

Introduction of a definition on
Municipal Solid Waste;

50% preparation for re-use and
recycling target by 2020 to be extended to municipal solid waste according to
one harmonised calculation method and no longer to household waste based on
four different calculation methods;

Preparing for re-use and recycling of
municipal waste to be increased to 70 % by 2030;

Preparing for re-use and recycling of
packaging waste to be increased to 80 % by 2030, with material-specific targets
set to gradually increase between 2020 and 2030 (to reach 90 % for paper by
2025 and 60% for plastics, 80% for wood, 90%
of ferrous metal, aluminium and glass by the end of 2030);

Ban the land filling of recyclable
(including plastics, paper, metals, glass and other biodegradable waste) waste
in non hazardous waste landfills by 2025;

By 2025 the total amount of waste
(that is, any waste and not solely MSW) shall not exceed 25% of the total
amount of MSW generated in the previous year;

To introduce measures so that by 2030
only residual waste is landfilled in an amount that does not exceed 5% of the
total amount of MSW generated in the previous year;

Introducing an early warning system
to anticipate and avoid possible compliance difficulties in Member States;

Improving traceability of hazardous
waste;

Increasing the cost-effectiveness of
Extended Producer Responsibility schemes by defining minimum conditions for
their operation;

Simplifying reporting obligations and
alleviating burdens faced by SMEs;

Improving the reliability of key
statistics through harmonised and streamlined calculation of targets;

Improving the overall coherence of
waste legislation by aligning definitions and removing obsolete legal
requirements.

For further
information kindly contact: