Page 36 - Waste-to-Energy in the Danube Strategy Region. Challenges and Prospects

3.1 Current MSW management & potential gaps

Waste management practices vary significantly across Europe. The countries of the DSR are no

different, and indeed represent the full spectrum of practices at the broader European level.
Nevertheless, the push towards a circular economy as discussed above will have a considerable

impact on such practices across Europe. The targets for landfilling and recycling proposed in the

WFD and the Circular Economy Package are especially important in this regard. By 2035, landfilling
should account for no more than 10% of MSW treatment while 65% of MSW should be recycled,

thus leaving at least 25% for energy recovery.

Figure 5 shows the distribution of MSW treatment by operation in the DSR countries as of

6
2016. The first thing to point out is the level of landfilling. Three states (Austria, Germany and
Slovenia) landfill less than 10% of all MSW and at the same time recycle over 50% of MSW, thus

meeting the target set forth in the WFD for 2020. Also interesting is that these same three

countries have the highest levels of overall incineration (with and without energy recovery). There

is then a significant jump with Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Romania sending
50–70% of MSW to landfill. The first three recycle over 30% of MSW, while Slovakia recycles

approximately 23% and Romania 13%. These countries are slightly more varied in terms of energy

recovery, ranging from 4% to 16% of MSW treatment. The remaining countries are all

characterized by exceptionally high landfilling rates (nearly 80% and above), zero or negligible
energy recovery (with the exception of Ukraine) and very low recycling rates (with the exception

of Croatia).

6 Comparable statistics were not available for Moldova.
Project co-funded by the European Union
30