24 October 2024

European Landfill Association wants to end the landfilling of organic waste in Europe

Today, the European Landfill Association (ELA) that represents European landfill operators was founded in Cologne. The national associations of landfill operators of Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, Interessengemeinschaft Deutsche Deponiebetreiber e.V. (InwesD), Vereniging Afvalbedrijven and Österreichischer Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaftsverband (ÖWAV) are founding members of the new European umbrella organization.

Methane contributes 28 times more to global warming than CO₂

Major aim of the European Landfill Association is to cooperate on a European level in all matters related to landfills, in particular to end the landfilling of organic waste in Europe and to ensure that efforts are made across all member states to prevent the generation of harmful landfill gases. Landfill gas consists primarily of methane, which contributes 28 times more to global warming than CO₂. Since organic landfill material produces considerable amounts of  methane in the absence of oxygen, this practice must finally be stopped in the European Union.

Make landfills safer

The newly founded European Landfill Association will engage in activities that make landfills safer. Of particular importance will be the definition of the best available techniques (BAT) within the framework of the LAN BREF of the EU Commission. The aim must be to ensure that the requirements of the European Landfill Regulation, which already provides for a landfill ban on untreated municipal waste, are no longer undermined by exceptions and extended to all types of waste.

Bjorn Hamal Deputy President of the ELA and Operations Director Mineralz at Renewi: "We have multiple issues at the European level, such as the discussion on the inclusion of landfills in the EU ETS, which requires the coordination of the associations of the member states. We are very much looking forward to working together on these matters within ELA."