The European Environmental Agency (EEA) published their second review entitled ‘Waste prevention in Europe – the status in 2014’. The report provides a review of 27 national and regional waste prevention programmes in 24 countries which were implemented until the end of 2014.
All of the reviewed programmes look into different sectors (including household and public services) and waste types such as food/organic waste, municipal/household waste, electrical equipment, packaging waste and hazardous waste.
While the report concludes that the actual effectiveness of these waste prevention programmes cannot yet be assessed, it highlights the following:
- Most of the programmes mentions the overall objective of breaking the link between economic growth, and the environmental impact associated with generation of waste.
- 17 programmes had quantitative targets, while other countries did not set specific ones.
- Many waste programmes developed specific measures: 39% focus on the design, production and distribution phase; 40% are related to the consumption and use phase; and 21% focus on the general framework conditions of waste generation.
- Programmes moreover include policy instruments of which “63% concern information and awareness raising; economic and regulatory instruments account for 16% and 14% respectively; and 7% voluntary agreements”.