According to Members of the European Parliament, this will encourage the design of better reusable plastics and increase the capacity for recycling in the short term. Research indicates that an increase of 10 to 20 percent in capacity is necessary. Currently, EU countries mainly export plastic waste to Turkey, which cannot even process its own plastic waste.
From 2005 to 2018, the average amount of municipal waste per capita in the EU decreased. However, there were different trends by country. For example, there was an increase in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Malta, and the Czech Republic, and a decrease in Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary, Romania, and the Netherlands.
In absolute terms per person, waste production was highest in Denmark, Malta, Cyprus, and Germany and lowest in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
Landfilling waste is now rare in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Finland. In these countries, incineration plays an important role alongside reuse.
Landfilling of municipal waste remains popular in eastern and southern parts of Europe. Ten countries landfill at least half of their municipal waste. In Malta, Cyprus, and Greece, it is more than 80%; in Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia more than 60%; while in Spain and Portugal it is more than 50%.
The draft regulation on waste transport goes beyond plastic waste alone. Export of waste to countries outside the OECD will only be allowed if those countries have given prior consent and if it is proven they can process it. Exporters will have to demonstrate that their recipients process the waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
In 2020, EU countries exported 32.7 million tons of waste to non-EU countries, accounting for approximately 16 percent of global waste trade. This represents an increase of 75 percent compared to twenty years ago. On top of that, EU member states trade 67 million tons of waste among themselves annually.