VKU Opinion on the Study Bio Intelligence Service to the European Commission (GD ENV) on Implementing EU Waste Legislation for Green Growth

The waste management system technically consists of four hierarchical complexes: precautionary measures/waste prevention, collection/transport, preparation/treatment of waste, which may consist of sorting, recycling, energy recovery etc., possibly in several steps, and final disposal/reuse/utilisation of secondary materials and energy. Obviously, not every end-of-life product necessarily runs through all possible levels of the waste management system. Local utilities and municipalities are active on all these levels, they undertake actions to improve waste prevention and reduce waste amounts, collect and transport a multitude of different types of waste, recycle biowaste, treat, sort, incinerate, landfill waste, use and buy recovered materials and energy and secondary products etc. The VKU member companies operate, among other installations, landfills, thermal and mechanical-biological waste treatment, composting and fermentation plants as well as recycling centres and carry out waste collection, street cleaning and winter services.