Environmental Legislation for Solid Waste Management in EU Countries

The present chapter intends to demonstrate how European Union countries have developed legislation to manage solid and hazardous waste. The analysis is focused on solid and hazardous waste but also waste streams like waste batteries and accumulators, end-of-life vehicles, packaging waste, waste from electrical and electronic equipment, waste oils, biodegradable municipal waste and tires. The results show that countries with stricter legislation which goes farther than European Union Directives present a better waste management. The main legal issue which influences waste management success is the inclusion of economic instruments in legal documents. The effect of such inclusion is visible in countries where the instrument is not applied since the collection and recycling targets are lower than the countries where economic instruments exist. The legislative impacts on solid waste management have promoted the recycling and the emergence of measures from stakeholders in such ways that could allow Member States to comply with European Union legislation targets and requirements.