At current huge amounts of mixed waste are still landfilled in the EU. The Circular Economy Act should target these waste streams, such as Municipal Solid waste, inert Construction & Demolition Waste and Commercial & Industrial Waste. These wastes contain considerable amounts of recyclables. Their residues are calorific and can be used to produce Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). Adressing this main waste problem and supporting the SRF approach will contribute heavily to circularity and reduction of CO2 emissions.
ERFO represents European producers of SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel). ERFO welcomes the new delegated regulation related to Taxonomy and the setting of criteria for circularity. With regard to the sorting of non-hazardous waste we like to highlight that there is a sustainable solution for residues that can not be recycled. This solution is to prepare a standardised fuel of it which can be used at the highest energy efficiency in dedicated facilities. SRF production is an integral part of advanced sorting and a feature of the most sustainable way to process mixed waste.
ERFO welcomes the initiative of the European Commission that aims to improve the overall environmental outcome of waste management. The Waste Framework Directive has served well to improve the management of waste in Europe. Revising it may offer opportunities to improve the way in which waste is handled even further. For that good separation at source is required. A main challenge is that of mixed waste, which will keep being generated despite all efforts of source separation. The combined process of sorting mixed waste and producing Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) provides the optimum way to benefit material recovery and optimum use of energy from waste. SRF is the missing link which needs to be promoted when revising the EU waste framework.