SWM Legislation
Introduction to Waste Management
Sustainable Development – Definition
Sustainable development is how we must live today if we want a better tomorrow, by meeting present needs without compromising the chances of future generations to meet their needs. The survival of our societies and our shared planet depends on a more sustainable world.
It’s a bit of a juggling act. Three different balls must be kept in the air at once: economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. If one or two fall to the ground, the act is over. An economy might grow rapidly, for instance – but only for so long if most people remain poor and all the natural resources are used up.Where development is sustainable, everyone has access to decent work, quality health care and education. Natural resource use avoids pollution and permanent losses to the environment. Public policy choices ensure that no one is left behind due to disadvantages or discrimination.
Waste Management
Managing waste in an environmentally sound manner and making use of the secondary materials they contain are key elements of the EU’s environmental policy.
Overview
EU waste policy aims to contribute to the circular economy by extracting high-quality resources from waste as much as possible. The European Green Deal aims to promote growth by transitioning to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. As part of this transition, several EU waste laws will be reviewed.
The Waste Framework Directive is the EU’s legal framework for treating and managing waste in the EU. It introduces an order of preference for waste management called the “waste hierarchy”.
Certain categories of waste require specific approaches. Therefore, as well as the overarching legal framework, the EU has many laws to address different types of waste.
Objectives
EU waste policy aims to protect the environment and human health and help the EU’s transition to a circular economy. It sets objectives and targets to:
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improve waste management
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stimulate innovation in recycling
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limit landfilling
Waste Management Plans (WMPs)
Waste management plans have a key role to play in achieving sustainable waste management that is in line with EU waste legislation. Their main purpose is to give an overview of all waste generated (including imported, and by specific waste streams) and treatment options for this waste. The plans provide a framework for the following:
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Compliance with waste policy and target achievement
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Stocktaking of waste and capacity for managing it
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Outline of needs and future developments
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Outline for management of packaging waste
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Outline for management of biodegradable waste
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Information on general waste management policies and technological measures
In addition, WMPs discuss and arrange the following aspects:
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Outline of waste management organisation
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Evaluation of waste policies
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Awareness campaigns/information provision
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Contaminated waste disposal sites
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Outline of economic and investment requirements
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Waste prevention programmes (WPP)
Efficient waste management commonly requires the participation and cooperation of several involved parties/authorities, and coherent planning helps to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and thus benefits all participants in their work together. The increasing complexity of waste management issues and the standards set by EU directives entail more stringent requirements in terms of the suitability of treatment plants.
In many cases, this means larger and more complex plants for waste treatment, which involves the cooperation of several regional units in the establishment and operation of the plants.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a systematic decision support process, aiming to ensure that environmental and possibly other sustainability aspects are considered effectively in policy, plan and programme making. In this context SEA may be seen as:
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a structured, rigorous, participative, open and transparent environmental impact assessment (EIA) based process, applied particularly to plans and programmes, prepared by public planning authorities and at times private bodies,
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a participative, open and transparent, possibly non-EIA-based process, applied in a more flexible manner to policies, prepared by public planning authorities and at times private bodies, or
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a flexible non-EIA based process, applied to legislative proposals and other policies, plans and programmes in political/cabinet decision-making.
Effective SEA works within a structured and tiered decision framework, aiming to support more effective and efficient decision-making for sustainable development and improved governance by providing for a substantive focus regarding questions, issues and alternatives to be considered in policy, plan and programme (PPP) making. SEA is an evidence-based instrument, aiming to add scientific rigor to PPP making, by using suitable assessment methods and techniques.
SEA is a legally enforced assessment procedure required by Directive 2001/42/EC (known as the SEA Directive). The SEA Directive aims at introducing systematic assessment of the environmental effects of strategic land use related plans and programs. It typically applies to regional and local, development, waste and transport plans, within the European Union. Some plans, such as finance and budget plans or civil defense plans are exempt from the SEA Directive, it also only applies to plans that are required by law, which interestingly excludes national government’s plans and programs, as their plans are ‘voluntary’, whereas local and regional governments are usually required to prepare theirs.