11/02/13
The European Union currently landfills and incinerates 60% of municipal waste. Valuable materials which could be recycled or re-used are being thrown away as rubbish, contributing to demand for more raw materials.
In the case of textiles, for example, Europeans discard 5.8 million tonnes every year, with 75% going to landfill or incineration and only 25% being recycled.
The study concludes that in order to move to a zero-waste Europe, higher recycling targets need to be accompanied with targets for reuse and waste prevention.
