GETTING THE ECONOMICS RIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT VIRTUOUS CIRCLES MISSION BULGARIA 2018 Vanya Veras SECRETARY GENERAL

WHO ARE WE? 17 members from 16 countries and 2 observers National Associations of EU Municipalities and their waste management companies

MUNICIPAL WASTE TREATMENT (2015)

CIRCULAR ECONOMY PRESERVING AND USING WHAT WE HAVE EU Imports 2x more than we Export PET: €300-450/ton LET’S KEEP THE VALUE AND JOBS IN THE EU

VALUE CHAIN Solutions do not start and finish with waste management There is a value chain which needs to become circular: ECO-DESIGN (PRODUCTION) NETWORKS (REUSE, ANTI-LITTER) COLLECTION AND SORTING RECYCLING PRODUCTION COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATE RESULT EMPOWERED CITIZENS SORT

IF IT IS MIXED LET’S SORT IT! WASTE IS ONLY A PROBLEM IF IT IS MIXED – 64% LANDFILL TODAY LET’S SORT IT!

WASTE FRACTIONS TO TARGET BIOWASTE (FOOD WASTE AND GREEN WASTE) INVEST, SORT PACKAGING IMPROVE (EPR RULES) BULKY WASTE (FURNITURE, LARGE WEEE) COLLECT SEPARATELY, REPAIR, REUSE SMALL WEEE + HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD WASTE MOBILE COLLECTION UNITS CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE SORT AT SOURCE

Ljubljana Separate collection in residential area Collection truck runs on biogas from city’s biowaste Fractions: paper and card, packaging, biowaste, residual

Ljubljana City Centre 1 2 3 4 5

PAYT Recognition with ID card Charge for Residual and biowaste

Citizen collection point Separate section for Reuse items – before become waste

PORTUGAL Underground in city centre Overground in residential area Separate collection at the beach/park

TAIEX EIR PEER TO PEER MWE is using the tool to twin municipalities for knowledge brokerage SEPARATE COLLECTION: LJUBLJANA/EVORA REUSE NETWORK: FLANDERS/DENMARK MWE working on 5-10 more in Semester 1/2019: biowaste, reuse Case studies on TAIEX, ECESP and MWE Website

Economic Importance of EPR A properly functioning EPR system enables the cost- effective recovery of valuable materials For plastic packaging this value is transferred to the recycler who is able to produce e.g. recycled plastic resins at the same price as primary resins PRIMARY € = RECYCLED € It can also be applied to Construction and Demolition waste In countries such as Greece this results in 90% recycling back into the construction industry That’s 90% less landfilling, less fly-tipping of C&D waste

EPR Fees to the Producer Producer (PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY ORGANISATION e.g. Green Dot) must pay at least 80% of the necessary costs; MODULATED FEES obligation: non-recyclable packaging pays more – to promote eco-design MSs option to include cost of collection and treatment of EPR waste remaining in residual waste in producer fees (Art.8a) MSs option to include cost of collection and treatment of litter (Art.8a)

ECONOMIC INCENTIVES EPR: enables convenient, effective collection and treatment LANDFILL TAX: Pushes waste away from landfill into VALUE recovery EU VAT Directive allows: low/zero VAT on reuse/recycled – national choice Subsidise labour when preparation for reuse? FLANDERS pay 50% of labour costs to reuse networks Official recognition/Fiscal rewards for resource efficient companies/ municipalities?

FINANCING IMPLEMENTATION NEW ERDF and Cohesion Fund Regulation UPCOMING FUNDING in line with Waste Hierarchy (No/conditional) funding to MBT/residual waste YES FUNDING to INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Other tools: EIB, EBRD, INTERREG…

CHALLENGES FOR ALL PREVENTION – SHARING ECONOMY FROM landfill/incineration TO more REUSE & RECYCLING MORE recycling in EUROPE …CHINA NOT TAKING OUR ‘RUBBISH’ ANYMORE …BETTER COLLECTION BETTER QUALITY INVESTMENT & BETTER NEW MATERIALS What does Bulgaria produce? Can the raw materials come from your waste stream?

www.municipalwasteeurope.eu SINCE 2009