The European Environmental Bureau has stated in a new report that an “ambitious waste policy” in Europe could create up to 750,000 new jobs by 2025… more than the European Commission claims could be generated by its trade agreement with the US.
A new report from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) states that if the EU were to “adopt ambitious new policies and targets for the prevention and recycling of waste as part of its upcoming Waste Targets Review” then not only could the 750,000 new roles be created, more than 850,000 could be created by 2030.
Piotr Barczak (pictured), the EEB’s Waste Policy Officer, commented: “This report underlines the massive potential for advancing resource efficiency in Europe. If the EU is ambitious, it could help create work for one in every six currently unemployed, young Europeans. It underlines that good environmental policies create jobs – and lots of them.”
The report finds that a scenario for EU resource efficiency, involving ambitious targets for food waste reduction, re-use of textiles and furniture, and recycling, could help prevent the equivalent of around 415m tonnes of CO₂ by 2030, while a strong policy in food waste reduction could also help avoid cropland use of 57,000 km² by 2030.
The report comes out as the Commission is finalising a major Waste Targets Review that is expected to align key targets in upcoming legislation with goals outlined in its overarching strategy document, the Resource Efficiency Roadmap. The EEB recommends adopting the range of indicators used in this report – material use, land, water and carbon – at EU level, to identify and measure the positive role waste policy plays in becoming more resource efficient.
It calls on the European Commission to limit overall disposal and energy recovery options – particularly incineration – of all biodegradable waste and to set specific targets for preferable options within the waste hierarchy, such as waste prevention, re-use and recycling.
The EEB’s Senior Policy Officer for Waste and Products, Stéphane Arditi, added: “Landfill bans alone will be insufficient if we want to create a resource-efficient Europe. We need clear direction towards options further up the waste hierarchy that also move away from incineration.”