ACR+ has been actively involved in the revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive, emphasising the need for stronger environmental measures to address the impact of waste management. In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a targeted amendment to the Directive, introducing specific rules on textile and food waste. ACR+ welcomes this proposal as a significant step towards advancing the circularity of resource-intensive products and reducing the environmental and climate impacts associated with their production and disposal.

ACR+ supports the revision process and has provided detailed feedback, proposing five key measures to enhance the Directive:

• Extending the scope of food reduction targets to primary production.
• Establishing specific additional legislation on textiles with a standardized EU system for Extended Producer Responsibility.
• Developing efficient monitoring and control schemes for food waste reduction.
• Setting up a sanctioning system to enforce targets.
• Placing a greater focus on prevention for textiles.

Additionally, ACR+ emphasises the need for ambitious reduction goals aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and a comprehensive approach to circular economy practices.

Reflecting on the current state of the proposal, with both the European Parliament and the Council still to vote, ACR+ considers the missed opportunities of the revision and highlights complementary actions needed to strengthen and enforce the provisions once adopted. These actions would focus on prevention to address the waste problem at its roots, harmonisation of EPR systems across Europe, and raising ambition for food reduction targets. Read these detailed recommendations here.