Quantitative Benchmarks for Municipal Waste Prevention: A guide for Local & Regional Authorities in support of the new Waste Framework Directive

The waste framework directive of December 2008 stipulates a clear obligation to give preference for waste prevention above all other waste management practices.

It is true that if waste is not generated, then it doesn't need to be collected, treated, or disposed of. Furthermore, waste prevention reduces energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental impacts. Waste prevention makes sense - environmentally, economically and...financially!

Generation of municipal waste currently estimated at about 600 kg/inh/y (EU 27), will continue to increase across the EU if public authorities do not react strongly and positively. One of the biggest challenges for waste prevention is to quantify the efforts of its development.

For this reason we decided to develop this guide. It consists of a thorough review of the waste prevention prescriptions at EU level (chapter 1), an in depth research on the principles and applications of quantitative benchmarking (chapter 2) and finally, a systematic effort to capture 95 quantitative waste prevention examples that, through voluntary actions, exemplify the potential waste reductions achievable at both regional and local level (chapter 3 to 7). 

The waste prevention examples are covering 5 main different waste streams: bio-waste, packaging waste, paper waste, bulky waste and other municipal waste. They reflect, in quantitative terms, the ACR+ concept of the "quantitative European benchmark" of less 100 kg waste per inhabitant per year.

The case studies offer quantitative results in various, but easy understandable, units. However, given the limitation of information and data, a number of case studies are solely selected to explore the methodological framework and to illustrate the possible innovation impacts of waste prevention. A comprehensive web database is currently developed by us and will be updated on a regular basis as well as extended in order to incorporate more case studies as well as improved quantified data on targets and indicators. We will keep you informed.

This guide complements the ACR+ 'Campaign Handbook for the Reduction of Municipal Waste' published in November 2008. Both publications should provide you with the necessary information in order for you to start/ further develop comprehensive waste prevention programmes. We encourage you to provide us in the (near) future with the results of your actions undertaken. This will allow us for even more intensified information exchange activities including analyzing synergies between waste prevention efforts aimed at improving our waste prevention programmes.

How to get it?

This new publication is free for ACR+ members.
Non members can buy it on-line for 60 € (30 € NGOs and students): http://www.acrplus.org/technical-reports