The impact of measures to increase reuse is difficult to measure

Reuse is a cornerstone of the EU’s efforts to promote the circular economy and waste prevention. But a new report shows that measuring the impact of various measures is a challenge. There is still a need for more robust regulations and economic instruments for implementing an effective waste policy.

Measuring reuse is complex. Despite extensive efforts in many countries, the comparability of data remains limited, partly due to differing interpretations of definitions, scope, and what is actually included. This makes it difficult to monitor policy measures, says Jurate Miliute-Plepiene, a researcher at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

In the report, produced by the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy (ETC CE), IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, together with the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Belgian research institute VITO, has examined how countries report on reuse in accordance with EU legislation, and what policy measures they have implemented.

The study shows that countries use a range of different methods to collect data, from household surveys to studies of recycling operators, and that several methods are often combined. The report goes beyond analysis, presenting concrete, actionable proposals based on the challenges facing these countries.

To prevent waste, the countries are focussing primarily on ‘soft’ policy measures such as information campaigns, education and voluntary initiatives. Stronger regulations and economic instruments are still only used to a limited extent.

The report provides recommendations for how data collection can be improved and how policies can be devised to be more effective ahead of the next reporting cycle.

We need a clearer framework for how measures are to be monitored and evaluated, so that we can assess what actually works, says Elisabeth Pernmyr, project manager at IVL.

The report can be downloaded here External link, opens in new window..

For more information, contact:
Jurate Miliute-Plepiene, jurate.miliute@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 67 20
Elisabeth Pernmyr, elisabeth.pernmyr@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 67 46