Adopted in September 1989, the Community Waste Strategy outlines the EU policies on Waste Management in the context of the principles laid down in the Single European Act and the Fifth Action Programme on the Environment. The Strategy sets out the following five strategic guidelines within the EU Waste Management Hierarchy; prevention by technologies and products, recycling and reuse, optimisation of final disposal, regulation of transport and remedial action.

A review of this Waste Strategy was published in 1996, this review was particularly important for clarifying the relative positions of materials and energy recovery in the waste hierarchy. This has had important impacts on UK Waste Policy, which must comply with EU Policy.

Key EU Waste Management Directives and Regulations which have had an impact on UK Waste Policy are:

• Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC & Amended Framework Directive 91/156/EEC
• Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/137/EEC
• Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control EEC/96/61
• Landfill Directive 99/31/EC
• End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Draft Directive
• Ozone Depleting Regulations 2037/2000

The Waste Framework, Landfill, End of Life Vehicles and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directives and Ozone Depleting Regulations are discussed in further detail below.

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The Directive was finally agreed in Europe on 26 April 1999 and the final text was published in Europe’s Official Journal in July 1999. The Directive is currently undergoing public consultation, prior to being implemented into national legislation.

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The End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC) applies to cars and light commercial vehicles. Its target is to recover a minimum of 85% of the ELV materials by 2005 and a minimum of 90% by 2015. The objectives are to prevent generation of waste, to increase recovery of components and to make manufacturers responsible for free vehicle take back. The Directive introduces regulation of permits for scrap dealers and breakers during the disassembly of vehicles.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Draft Directive applies to equipment containing ferrous and non-ferrous metals, glass and plastics. Such equipment contains significant quantities of hazardous waste, including heavy metals and various halogenated substances. Its target is to recover a minimum of 90% of large WEEE by 2004 and a minimum of 70% of small WEEE. The provisions require producers to bear many of the costs for collection, treatment, recovery and disposal. Proposals for a phase out of hazardous substances have also been included.

EC Regulations on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) require the extraction of Chloroflourocarbons (CFC) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) foam from goods such as fridges and freezers prior to disposal or recovery. The regulations also state that the CFC’s, once recovered, must be destroyed by an environmentally acceptable technology. There are currently no facilities in the UK for the removal of CFC or HCFC foam.

From 1 January 2002, waste refrigerators will be added to the European Hazardous Waste list which will be implemented in the UK through the revision of the Special Waste Regulations. The regulations will prevent whole fridges, freezers and foam containing ODS from being landfilled, incinerated or exported to any country outside the EU. However the use of CFC in domestic goods has ceased since 1995 and HCFC foam will cease to be used in 2003. The WEEE Directive, once implemented will require producers of white goods to bear many of the costs of their disposal.