The 2020 edition of the multi-thematic statistical book “Energy, transport and environment statistics” highlights the EU Member States’ waste generation by economic activities and households in 2018. It provides data in the form of percentage of waste generated by mining and quarrying, manufacturing, energy, construction and demolition, other economic activities and households in relation to total waste generation in every EU Member State. SMART WASTE partners’ respective EU Member States show very different composition of the total waste generated. Differences are relevant both related to the EU 27 average as well as among partners’ respective EU Member States.
On the EU 27 level, the mining and quarrying sector is the second main source of waste, accounting for 26.3% of the total waste generated. Data for SMART WASTE partners’ respective EU Member States show almost negligible contribution of mining and quarrying activities to national total waste generation since in case of 5 out of 6 respective EU Member States the contribution ranges from 0% to less than 2%. Bulgaria represents the sole relevant exception from the general picture whereas, according to Eurostat, the mining and quarrying sector accounts for 82.4% of the total waste generated on the national level.
Share of the waste from mining and quarrying activities in the total waste generation in SMART WASTE partners’ respective EU Member States is given below:
- Denmark (P2 - Municipality of Kolding): 0%
- Netherlands (P6 - Municipality of Apeldoorn): 0%
- Belgium (P5 - ACR+): 0.1%
- Lithuania (P3 – KRWMC): 1.6%
- Italy (LP – ARRR): 0.8%
- EU 27: 26.3%
- Bulgaria (P4 – BAMEE): 82.4%
Considering the relevance of mining and quarrying waste, as one of the largest waste streams in the EU, the European Commission proposed the Extractive Waste Directive (Directive 2006/21/EC) as well as 6 Implementing measures aiming to “prevent or reduce any adverse effects on the environment due to the management of mining waste”. Implementing measures include, among others, criteria for classification of waste facilities, technical guidelines for establishing the financial guarantee, technical requirements for waste characterisation, definition of inert waste, technical guidelines for inspections.
Source and more information: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-statistical-books/-/KS-DK-20-001
