Explained: Economic incentives to reduce waste

In 2018, EU member states and institutions agreed on a comprehensive set of laws aimed at preventing household waste and boosting recycling. In Annex IVa of the agreed Waste Framework Directive, the EU executive sets out recommendations regarding the introduction of economic instruments such landfill and incineration taxes, deposit-return-schemes, fees and more.

In this brief, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) provides an overview of existing economic instruments and other measures that can be used to help governments reduce waste and incentivise reuse and recycling in line with the waste hierarchy.

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