On 5 July 2023, the European Commission published their proposal for the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, whose primary aim is to update its approach to food and textile waste. In a policy paper written in response to the proposal, CEN and CENELEC welcome the increased focus on these two types of waste and put forward suggestions on how to implement the revision.

European Standards can play a vital role in ensuring the success of the proposal: they provide the technical guidance needed to implement the practical changes to transform its ambitions into a reality.

Therefore, CEN and CENELEC suggest that the European Commission consider the use of standards to define criteria in textile and food waste management. In particular, the position paper elaborates on how standards can be used to set requirements for the sorting of textiles waste and to standardize methodologies for the measurement of food waste.

CEN and CENELEC remain committed to the use of standardization as a tool to achieve the green transition and support the circular economy. The revision of the Waste Framework Directive provides an opportunity to utilize standards to ensure its successful implementation across the Single Market.

(Source: CEN)