LIFE leads the way on separating and reusing municipal waste

The recent 2-day online LIFE Networking Meeting on Municipal Waste Separate Collection and PAYT (Pay As You Throw) brought representatives from the waste industry and waste authorities working in 17 LIFE projects together with European Commission staff. With the EU Circular Economy Act due for adoption later this year, the meeting highlighted practical experiences of improving separate collection, strengthening PAYT systems and boosting the use of secondary raw materials. As Head of Department managing LIFE at CINEA Aneta Willems said, 'The shift towards circularity is a challenge worth the effort, and it requires innovation, coordinated efforts and investments'.

Day 1 examined exemptions (known as 'derogations') under the EU Waste Framework Directive; economic incentives such as PAYT systems; and real-world challenges. Discussions on Day 2 shifted to quality and technical challenges such as contamination, material quality and recycling for electronic waste, textiles and biowaste.

The meeting was presented with survey results showing significant differences in derogations for mixed waste not only between Members States, but even among municipalities within the same country. LIFE IP CE Beyond Waste and LIFE IP C-MARTLIFE reported that such exemptions are often justified on the grounds of cost and convenience.

Public awareness and buy-in key to success

Successful PAYT schemes rely on good governance, citizen engagement and political commitment, as well as flexibility and adaptation to local conditions. LIFE-IP CEI Greece described the transition to PAYT in Greece as moving from 'zero to hero', while LIFE PAYT warned 'there is no one-size-fits-all model'. Both LIFE HA2WASTE and LIFE-IP CYzero WASTE said challenges include lack of political will, concerns over costs, revenue loss and high investment.

All participants agreed that separate waste collection is the starting point for high quality recycling, and can only be achieved when householders separate correctly at source. LIFE ZEROLANDFILLING and LIFE CENTS4PACK suggested that door-to-door collections or closed bins with access codes generally deliver significantly higher quality and lower contamination, and that personalised economic incentives can be very effective. LIFE IP C-MARTLIFE added that extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes can also play a crucial role in the proper separate collection.

Challenges of specific waste streams

The final session looked at waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), biowaste and textiles. LIFE ECOSWEE and LIFE RE-WEEE both noted very low rates of WEEE collection and reuse, adding that easy-to-use collection points and retailers play an important role. There is also 'a big potential for selling spare parts to other countries'.

Analysis by LIFE21 BIOBEST shows that low biowaste contamination ensures high-quality compost. Success relies on strict monitoring, door-to-door collection and public awareness: LIFE CircforBio noted that effective communication and early quality control are vital. Meanwhile, textile recycling struggles with challenges including impurities and fibre composition. Advice from the Swedish LIFE TREATS project included: 'Start simple and focus on the demand'.

Other LIFE projects taking part included: LIFE IP Restart, LIFE Waste To Resources IP, LIFE- REthinkWASTE, and LIFE23-ENV-ES-LIFE POLITEX. Since 2021, the LIFE Programme has funded more than 70 projects with a total budget of €365 million with the aim of cutting municipal waste, boosting recycling rates and reusing discarded items. These LIFE projects support the EU Waste Framework Directive, the Competitiveness Compass and the Circular Economy Act.