On January 29th 2016 in Brussels, the European Commission launched the study "Assessment of separate collection schemes in the 28 capitals of the EU (2015)". The study shows the current status of systems implemented in Europe capitals, as well as examples of best practices that can constitute the basis for improvement in this field.
The separate collection of municipal waste is already a legal obligation in all EU member states. The study launched in Brussels at the end of January was meant to objectively assess the situation in 28 European capitals regarding the separate collection of waste, in the context of the recently launched legislation on the circular economy.
It is important for Europe to know where it stands when it comes to the collection, recycling and revaluation of waste. Is Europe ready to transform waste into valuable secondary raw material, at the levels set by legislation?
The answer was a partial surprise: two of the three top countries on separate collection (at the level of their capital) are from Central and Eastern Europe: Slovenia and Estonia. Ljubljana and Tallinn, alongside Helsinki (Finland) lead the field, with separate collection rates of 55,4%, 42,2% and 38,6% respectively. The European average is 19%.
Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs said: "When these three Member States score so highly like this, it shows the importance of political will. They show that moving from old-fashioned disposal to more intelligent waste treatment can happen relatively quickly, with no need for a lengthy period of adaptation. All EU Member States can embrace the circular economy approach in their waste policies, and this study shows them how to do it."
Unfortunately, data on Romania is not that good. With a national collection rate of 2,58%, Romania still has a lot of improvement to make. The data shows that we totally lack a door-to-door collection system, as well as civic amenities. At the beginning of March, the Municipality of Iasi, together with ECOTIC and Salubris and co-financed by Norway Grants will launch the first municipal collection center in Romania: the Iasi Municipal Collection Center.
Download the press release and study launched by the European Commission.