ACR+ launches a database containing 36 best practice cases with quantitative data

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ACR+, the Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and sustainable Resource Management is launching a new online database entitled “Quantitative Benchmarks for Municipal Waste Prevention - A database for Local & Regional Authorities in support of the new Waste Framework Directive”. This database is specifically developed and only accessible for ACR+ members.

The Waste Framework Directive from December 2008 (2008/98) stipulates a clear obligation to give priority for waste prevention above all other waste management practices (art. 4). It also imposes to Member States to determine appropriate and specific qualitative or quantitative benchmarks for waste prevention in their waste prevention programs to be elaborated by December 2013 (art. 29).

Generation of municipal waste currently estimated at about 513 kg/inh/y (EU 27) will continue to increase across the EU if public authorities do not react strongly and positively. One of the biggest challenges for waste prevention is to quantify the impact of its development.

For this reason ACR+ decided to develop this database. It consists of 36 detailed quantitative waste prevention examples that exemplify the potential waste reductions achievable at both regional and local level. 

The waste prevention examples are covering 5 main different waste streams: bio-waste, packaging waste, paper waste, bulky waste and other municipal waste. They reflect, in quantitative terms, the ACR+ concept of the “quantitative European benchmark” of 100 kg less waste per inhabitant per year.

The case studies offer quantitative results in various, but easy understandable, units. The database will be updated on a regular basis as well as extended in order to incorporate more cases and more quantified data on targets and results indicators. In order to provide you with an insight of the way the cases are presented in the database, we attach one example for your information.

The current lack of extensive waste quantitative prevention policy experience suggests that European countries may benefit from: pursuing more intensified information exchange activities, undertaking in depth case studies on the design, implementation, and evaluation of waste prevention programs, and analyzing synergies between waste prevention efforts aimed at improving economy-wide resource efficiency, and waste management. The current database could serve as an example for this.

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