Food Waste in the European Union - The Economic Utilisation of Food Co-Products - page 33

environmental assets are managed within their maximum sustainable
yields, residual waste is reduced to almost zero, and ecosystems are restored.
The Roadmap provides a framework that enables related policies to be
implemented in a coherent and complementary way, and sets milestones by
which to measure progress in improving resource eciency. 10 The Roadmap
includes milestones relating to transferring waste into a resource and
increasing research and innovation for resource eciency through supporting
increased private sector investment. Food is highlighted as a key sector
as the food and drink sector is responsible for 17% of the EU's direct
GHG emissions and 28% of material resource use, the Roadmap targets
a 50% reduction in edible food waste by 2020, and the Commission
commit to further assess how best to limit waste throughout the food
supply chain.
Relevant examples of existing EU measures include the ''circular
economy'' strategy for the EU, building a recycling society with the aim of
reducing waste and using waste as a resource, this is implemented by the
revised Waste Framework Directive. 11 The revised Waste Framework
Directive was adopted in 2008 and places an obligation on Member States
to handle waste in a way that does not negatively impact human health
and the environment, including the collection, transportation, treatment
storage and disposal of waste. Under the Directive Member States have
defined recycling targets up to 2020, and must ensure waste management
practices comply with the waste hierarchy in which prevention is the favoured
option, followed by reuse, recycling and recovery, with disposal as a
last resort see Figure 2.7. Member States must prepare waste-management
plans detailing waste quantities, sources and types, and the collection
systems, and submit National Waste Prevention Plans by 2013, including food
waste.
The policy framework places an impetus on Member States to facilitate the
separate collection of biodegradable wastes. The Landfill Directive places an
obligation on Member States to reduce the absolute quantities of biode-
gradable municipal waste disposed of in landfill. 12 By 2016, Member States
must reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill

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3 .

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Recover

Disposal

Figure 2.7 Waste hierarchy.