The European Environment Agency set a target of 50% recycling of all waste by 2020 but recent figures have revealed that several nations are falling behind in their targets to deal with even the most simple and effective of recycling, such as metals from batteries and plastics.
In northern Europe, nations such as Germany, Belgium and Austria are already meeting the 50% target and recycling more than half their waste. But their neighbours in southern Europe are the ones falling behind with Greece only recycling 18% and Romania recycling a pitiful 1%.
Dealing with pollution and waste is one of the biggest issues facing European nations, particularly those with large coastlines and inland waterways. Some nations are doing better than others here – France is one of the big offenders with its beaches particularly afflicted by pollution, while Cyprus, Greece and Malta are doing better with their clean-up and recycling efforts as improved water quality demonstrates.
Dealing with pollution is also part of the drive to reduce waste. In Europe, carbon emissions are on the way down as renewable energy becomes more commonly used. Heavy industry still accounts for the majority of the air pollution that afflicts Europe, particularly in Germany, the UK, France and Poland. The most common pollutants are carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals and sulphur dioxide.
The EU target of 50% of recycling will also help reduce air pollution and improve health across the continent while continuing to make the most of scarce resources.