Brussels,

Landfill waste

The EU aims to minimize waste sent to landfills in line with its waste hierarchy, prioritizing prevention, reuse, and recycling over landfilling.

​This approach protects human health and the environment, while maximizing resource efficiency within the circular economy framework.

Key Objectives

• Limit Waste to Landfill:
  
  • Cap municipal waste landfilled at 10% by 2035.
  • Ban landfilling of recyclable or recoverable materials by 2030.
• Reduce Environmental Impacts:
  
  • Prevent leachate contamination of groundwater.
  • Mitigate methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.
• Encourage Circular Economy:
  
  • Introduce economic measures to favor recycling and recovery.
  • Implement quality control and traceability systems for municipal waste.

• In 2021, approximately 23% of municipal waste in the EU was sent to landfill.
  • This is a significant decrease compared to 49% in 1995.
• Countries with Lowest Landfilling Rates:
  • Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Austria: Less than 1% of municipal waste is landfilled.
  • These countries rely heavily on recycling, composting, and incineration.
• Countries with Highest Landfilling Rates:
  • Malta (~75%), Cyprus (~65%), and Greece (~55%).

Legislative Framework

• Main Laws:
  
  • Landfill Directive: Sets strict operational requirements for landfill sites.
  • Directive (EU) 2018/850: Amended landfill rules for circular economy goals.
  • Waste Framework Directive: Provides general waste management guidelines.
• Secondary Law:
  
  • Decision on Waste Acceptance Criteria: Defines acceptance procedures for waste at landfills.
  • Decision on Data Reporting Rules: Outlines reporting methodologies for municipal waste landfill data.

Implementation

• ​Member State Reporting:
  • EU countries report every three years on landfill directive implementation using a specific questionnaire.
• Monitoring and Evaluation:
  • The EU provides guidance on landfill gas control to help improve methane collection and treatment.
  • Eurostat offers data on waste generation and treatment.
• Early Warning System:
  • Reports identify shortcomings and recommend corrective actions three years before target deadlines.​​​

Environmental and Operational Measures

• Waste Restrictions:
  
  • Ban on untreated waste, hazardous waste, and used tires in landfills.
    
  • Prohibit flammable, explosive, liquid, or corrosive waste disposal.
• Biodegradable Waste:
  • National strategies to reduce biodegradable waste to landfills.
• Operational Costs:
  • Operators must ensure pricing covers costs from landfill opening to closure.

Timeline

• 16 July 1999: Landfill Directive enters into force.
  
  • Details on the Directive
• 5 July 2020: Directive (EU) 2018/850 amending the Landfill Directive enters into force.
  
  • Details on Directive 2018/850
• By 2030: Ban on recyclable or recoverable materials in landfills.
  
• By 2035: Limit municipal waste landfilled to 10%.
  

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