Currently, EU waste management lowers EU annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 1 %, in contrast with global waste management which is a net emitter. As much as 83 % of the EU emissions saving is driven by highly successful metal waste management. This largely offsets the emissions from managing major waste types such as plastics, textile and biowaste, as their recycling rate is relatively low – they often tend to end up in mixed waste, an important contributor to emissions.

These are some of the main findings published in the scientific paper ‛Comprehensive assessment of environmental and economic impacts of the entire EU waste management system’, a research collaboration between the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and the Technical University of Denmark.

The study bridges a gap between generated and collected waste, considers all waste streams and applies Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). It quantifies the environmental impacts across 16 categories (e.g. climate change, particulate matter, ozone depletion) and the economic costs linked to the treatment and disposal of all 16 waste types. Finally, the authors also identify areas for improvement.

The study highlights the need for more efforts to reduce misallocations of recyclable waste to mixed waste. It provides a valuable tool for assessing scenarios, making investment decisions and advancing the EU’s circular economy objectives.