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Europe’s waste: Data and statistics for policy

Oeko-Institut (Institute for Applied Ecology) has once again been given the task of collecting and assessing key data of the European Commission’s Environmental Data Centre for the waste sector. For an additional three years its researchers will be supporting Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, in the examination, checking and preparation of statistical data on – for example – commercial and industrial waste, municipal waste, packaging waste, end-of-life vehicles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, and cross-border waste transport.

Oeko-Institut (Institute for Applied Ecology) has once again been given the task of collecting and assessing key data of the European Commission’s Environmental Data Centre for the waste sector. For an additional three years its researchers will be supporting Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, in the examination, checking and preparation of statistical data on – for example – commercial and industrial waste, municipal waste, packaging waste, end-of-life vehicles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, and cross-border waste transport.

This information provides the basis of development of the European Union’s waste statistics and the (further) development of policy measures on waste management. At the same time, it also forms the basis for informing EU citizens about the waste generated, recycling quotas and waste treatment in EU member states.

Oeko-Institut examines and manages the data provided by EU member states, develops proposals for improving data collection, and supports Eurostat in its communications with the member states on all aspects relating to waste. In this way it continues the successful work conducted in the last three years and will be cooperating with Argus GmbH and the Copenhagen Resource Institute (CRI) up to 2013 for this purpose, too.

“In some member states the waste treatment standards of the European Commission have still not been completely implemented”, says Dr. Georg Mehlhart, the project leader who focuses on sustainable water and waste management. “Regular monitoring of waste management data helps to remedy this deficiency and support the member states in improving their waste management according to standardised EU norms. In particular this involves waste prevention, efficient recycling and the environmentally friendly recovery and disposal of waste”.

For more background information and waste statistics of the European Union, please visit the following pages of Eurostat’s website: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/waste/introduction
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Waste_statistics

Contact:

Dr. Georg Mehlhart 
Researcher, Infrastructure & Enterprises Division 
Oeko-Institut e.V., Darmstadt office 
Phone: +49 (0)6151 8191-11 
Email