Consumption of plastic bags
This indicator provides information on the consumption of lightweight plastic bags (bags with or without handle, made of plastic, which are provided to consumers at the point of sale of products or goods and which are less than 50 microns thick) according to Directive (EU) 2015/720.
This Directive requires Member States to take measures to achieve a reduction in the consumption of plastic bags and to report their annual consumption as a monitoring system for their reduction.
Lightweight plastic bags consume a large amount of resources during the production phase and generate serious impacts on the environment once they become waste.
Placing EEE devices on the market and separate collection of WEEE
The continuous changes in the applications and characteristics of the devices increase the production of electrical and electronic devices (EEE) and make the innovation/obsolescence cycles shorter, accelerating their replacement and generating a correlative increase in the generation of waste derived from these devices (WEEE). Due to the presence of toxic substances in its composition, such as heavy metals, WEEE poses a risk to human health and the environment if it is not managed correctly. On the other hand, very rare and valuable materials are also used in its manufacture. Its recovery, preparation for reuse and recycling, not only avoids the extraction of non-renewable raw materials and the environmental and social impacts caused by mining, but also reduces the emission of greenhouse gases associated with its processing.
Marine litter
High tourism, deficiencies in waste management systems and human activity in the coastal areas contribute to the fact that year after year a high amount of waste ends up reaching the sea (marine waste).
Sales of soft drinks and beer cans
One of the main factors in the loss of reusable packaging is the increase in the distribution and consumption of single-use packaging, especially cans, which have grown unstoppable in absolute numbers, mainly in the beer and soft drinks sectors.
Cigarette butts
Cigarette butts are one of the most abundant wastes in natural and urban environments and cause serious environmental, economic and human health impacts when they are not managed correctly.
High levels of selective collection
High levels of selective collection are a good indicator of the commitment and good practices regarding waste carried out in a municipality. The higher the percentage of selective collection, the greater the amount of waste that can potentially be recovered and recycled, thus contributing to the principles of the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact associated with the generation and treatment of waste.
Low levels of residual fraction
Low levels of residual fraction collection usually go hand in hand with high levels of selective collection or low waste generation per capita. This indicator is, therefore, a positive sign of a municipality’s progress towards zero waste.
Municipalities with a Door to Door waste collection
The Door to Door (DtD) collection system is related to an increase in selective collection. The selective collection data show how main selective fractions (organic, paper and cardboard, light packaging and glass) have a higher collection percentage in municipalities where a DtD system is carried out than in municipalities with other systems, especially in the case of the organic fraction.
In addition, it also facilitates the implementation of other waste management systems, such as payment per generation.
Collection of the household organic fraction
More than 40% of the household waste generated is organic waste. For this reason, collecting the organic fraction selectively is key to increasing the values of selective collection of municipal waste, preventing the contamination of other fractions with organic waste and valorizing the organic matter in the form of compost to take advantage of the nutrients that they can provide to the soil.
Consumption of raw materials
This indicator quantifies the European demand for materials (biomass, metallic and non-metallic minerals and fossil energy materials) to produce goods and services for consumption or development of EU households, governments and businesses.
The consumption of raw materials, quantified in tons of materials consumed per inhabitant, makes clear the EU’s responsibility for environmental pressures in other parts of the world as a result of products or materials imported by the EU.
The consumption of raw materials, quantified in tons of materials consumed per inhabitant, makes clear the EU’s responsibility for environmental pressures in other parts of the world as a result of products or materials imported by the EU.
Self-sufficiency on raw materials
Raw materials are essential for the economic development of the EU, as the secondary sector and a large part of the primary and tertiary sectors depend on them.
It is now vital to control and reduce dependence on imports to ensure stability in the European economy and control over the recirculation of materials, which is key to the transition to a more circular economy.
This indicator shows the degree of self-sufficiency of supply of various raw materials widely used in the EU.
Dependence on importation of materials
This indicator determines the degree to which an economy depends on imports to meet its material needs.
Currently, it is of vital importance to control and reduce dependence on imports, especially of fossil materials and critical metals.
Therefore, the circular use of materials already on the market can reduce the environmental impacts suffered by the EU and increase the autonomy and resilience of its economy.