Abstract

This entry presents how European Union countries manage solid waste streams with appropriate legislative efforts. The analysis is designed to cover broader categories of municipal solid waste including waste batteries and accumulators, scrap vehicles, packaging waste, waste from electrical and electronic equipment, waste oils, biodegradable municipal waste, and end of life tires. The results show that countries with stricter legislation than the European Union directives exhibit a better waste management status. The main legal issue that influences the success of waste management is the inclusion of economic instruments in legal documents. The effect of exclusion is visible as evidenced by those countries where the collection and recycling targets are lower than the countries where economic instruments exist and trigger higher collection and recycling efforts. In any circumstance, the legislative impacts on solid waste management have promoted recycling and the emergence of measures from stakeholders in ways that could allow Member States to comply with European Union legislation targets and requirements.