The so-called “circular economy” is generally defined as an industrial economy that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible to achieve sustainable growth. On 14 June 2018, four Waste/Circular Economy Directives to move the EU towards a circular economy that aims to keep the added value in products for as long as possible, eliminate waste and achieve sustainable growth. 

The “circular economy” package included four Directives to amend the following key EU waste legislation:

  • Waste Framework Directive 2008 (Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste)
  • Packaging Waste Directive 1994 (European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste)
  • Landfill Directive 1999 (Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste)
  • Batteries Directive 2006 (Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators)
  • Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2012 (Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE))

These four Waste/Circular Economy Directives are:

  • Directive 2018/851 amending the Waste Framework Directive
  • Directive 2018/850 amending the Landfill Directive
  • Directive 2018/852 amending the Package and Packaging Waste Directive
  • Directive 2018/849 amending the End of Life Vehicles Directive, the Batteries Directive and the WEEE Directive

The Directives are now in force. They are interconnected and set out complex amendments to EU waste legislation. They include increases to waste targets, as follows:

  • A common EU target for recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2030 (unchanged from the draft Directive).
  • A common EU target for recycling 70% of packaging waste by 2030 (down from 75% proposed in the draft Directive).
  • A binding landfill target to reduce municipal waste sent to landfill to a maximum of 10% of municipal waste by 2035 (five years later than the 2030 deadline proposed in the draft Directive and limited to municipal waste).

Other important provisions include:

  • Member states to endeavour to ensure there is no landfilling of separately collected waste (potentially recyclates) by 2030, save where this is the best environmental outcome.
  • Promotion of economic instruments to promote the waste hierarchy.
  • A new definition of ‘end of waste’.
  • Other simplified and improved definitions and harmonised calculation methods for recycling rates throughout the EU.
  • Concrete measures to promote re-use and to turn one industry’s by-product into another industry’s raw material.
  • Economic incentives for producers to put greener products on the market and support recovery and recycling schemes.
  • Measures to tackle marine pollution of all kinds, including marine litter.

An analysis of specific items of the legislative package, and the impact of Brexit and the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 will follow at a later date on this site, following the scheduled Exit Day.