Resource Use, Waste & Chemicals

IEEP has been increasing its work on resource use, in parallel to the stronger focus in EU policies on minimising natural resource use and maximising resource efficiency. The Institute is a partner in a major framework contract for DG Environment on the Sustainable Management of Resources, which has so far given rise to projects on natural resources (reviewing the Natural Resources Thematic Strategy, analysing key contributions to resource efficiency, and on waste and on sustainable consumption and production).

Over recent years IEEP has greatly increased its portfolio of projects on natural resources and waste, contributing to the development and assessment of EU waste legislation and policy, undertaking research into natural resource use, and tracking and advising on the development of chemicals policies. Our work on natural resources and waste is predominantly carried out by members of the Industry, Waste and Water Programme.

At an early stage, the EU recognised waste as a key environmental challenge. The first Waste Framework Directive was adopted in 1975 and sought to create a coherent set of measures applicable in all Member States. Since then, legislation has expanded to cover various areas of waste management (hazardous waste, shipment of waste, landfill of waste, incineration and waste statistics) and a wide range of specific waste streams (mining waste, ship generated waste, sewage sludge, PCBs, packaging waste, batteries and accumulators, end-of-life vehicles (ELV), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and hazardous substances in electrical/electronic equipment (ROHS).

Projects related to this waste legislation and wider policy form the core of IEEP’s work on waste. Recent projects include the analysis of existing EU legislation and policy and significant contributions to the development of future waste policy.

European policies explicitly addressing waste are complemented by parallel efforts to minimise natural resource use, promote eco-design principles, encourage more sustainable consumption and production and move towards a full ‘life cycle’ approach to resource and product use. Rather than merely dealing with waste once it is generated, such policies are an ongoing attempt to use resources more efficiently from the outset. IEEP’s recent work in this area includes contributing to a major review of the EU’s Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources.

IEEP’s work on the regulation of chemicals mainly focuses on the implementation of REACH (the EU Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) both within Member States as well as on a European level.