The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have announced they intend to manage the transposition of the revised Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC through a two-stage consultation process. The Directive was published on 22 November 2008 and Member States must bring its provisions into force by 12 December 2010.
The first stage will be a 12-week consultation running from the summer until September 2009, and will consider the policy and strategy changes that will be needed as a result of the revised Directive's adoption. It will cover, amongst other things, how the Government intends to transpose the requirements for recycling and recovery targets set out in article 11. Article 11 states that, "By 2020, the preparing for re-use and the recycling of waste materials such as at least paper, metal, plastic and glass from households and possibly from other origins as far as these waste streams are similar to waste from households, shall be increased to a minimum of 50% by weight."
There has been much concern over this article among the waste and recycling sector, with independent consultant and former MEP Caroline Jackson commenting, "The recycling targets were thought out late at night between the European Council and the Parliament. The wording is still very opaque. All the Member States agreed in formal meetings that the text that was decided on is very confusing."
She also said that the "from other origins" phrase is the most confusing part of the text, and that it could be interpreted to mean anything and that some Member States with low targets could cheat to meet their obligations. She also questioned whether the 50% recycling target will apply to materials such as paper, metal, plastic and glass on a separate or an "accumulative" basis. In turn, it has been suggested that there may be difficulties in establishing a method of calculation of how each Member State will achieve the 50% target in a way that doesn't undermine its credibility.
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