fact sheet 9 societal aspects v2 · 2005 there were around 70,000 people employed in recycling of...

PREPARATORY STUDY FOR THE REVIEW OF THE THEMATIC STRATEGY ON THE PREVENTION AND RECYCLING OF WASTE

IEEP, BIO, ECOLOGIC, UMWELTBUNDESAMT, ARCADIS, VITO

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FACT SHEET 9: SOCIETAL ASPECTS

Emma Watkins

Draft v2, 5 March 2010

1. Conceptualisation of the issue

The aim of this fact sheet is to provide information on societal aspects related to waste and

waste management. It attempts to look at issues such as impacts on employment,

livelihoods (networks/relationships) and health impacts. It is also an attempt to address

societal aspects up front within the project to ensure that they are taken into consideration

as much as possible.

2. Assessment of the issue

Employment

The RREUSE Network is a specialised European network of national and regional social

economy federations and enterprises with activities in re-use and recycling. The members of

the network actively pursue waste reduction by collecting used clothes, equipment,

furniture etc and reselling or recycling them. These social economy projects are often

combined with local development objectives, such as the reintegration of groups at risk. In

cases such as this, waste reduction and recycling can be used to tackle social issues such as

social exclusion and unemployment.1

According to a paper prepared by the EU Presidency for the Council (February 2009),

recycling makes a significant contribution to the EU economy and to job opportunities. The

turnover of waste management and recycling industries in the EU27 is €95 billion, and they

provide between 1.2 and 1.5 million jobs. This includes waste collection, sorting, and the

reuse and recycling of materials. In the recycling sector there are over 60,000 companies, of

which over 95% are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).2

The Impact Assessment (IA) for the Waste TS stated that the waste sector had been steadily

developing in the EU for over a decade, with high growth rates driven by the

implementation of EU and national waste policies. Two sub-sectors were identified:

• specialised waste management companies (collection, incineration, landfill, composting,

etc.). Estimated turnover of over €75 billion for the EU25; 500,000 jobs; estimated

growth of around 11% per annum; over 14,500 known installations in the EU15

disposing of waste, recovering hazardous waste and incinerating waste (specialised

installations recovering non-hazardous waste not documented).

• businesses recovering and recycling materials (paper, glass, metals, etc.). Estimated

500,000 to 1 million jobs in EU25, including over 35,000 jobs in social economy

organisations in EU15; over 60,000 enterprises in the ferrous and non-ferrous metals

recovery and recycling sector in EU25, employing 500,000 persons.4



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The EEA State of the Environment Report (SOER) 2010 suggests that the EU recycling sector

is growing in economic importance; it makes a significant contribution to employment – in

2005 there were around 70,000 people employed in recycling of metal waste and scrap and

a further 71,000 in recycling of non-metal waste and scrap.3

A report prepared by a group of consultants for DG Employment in May 2009 (Investing in

the Future of Jobs and Skills: Scenarios, implications and options in anticipation of future

skills and knowledge needs. Sector Report for Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste)5 suggests

that the availability of detailed employment figures for the waste sector is limited. It

suggests, however, that the sector has experienced high growth rates over the last decade

which were ‘especially policy driven’. The report cites figures from the Impact Assessment

on the Waste TS on the two main sub-sectors: around 50,000 people are employed in the EU

in specialised waste management (collection, incineration, landfill, composting, etc.), with

annual growth rates of around 11%; and 500,000 to 1,000,000 people are employed in the

EU25 the waste recycling sector (for paper, glass, metals, etc.).5

The Investing in the Future of Jobs and Skills report states that Eurostat’s 2006 publication

‘European business: Facts and figures’ (data from 1995-2005) suggests the waste sector is

characterised by a normal share of full-time employees and males, who are on average older

than in most other sectors. In terms of the employment structure in the waste sector, in

both the new MS and the EU15 occupations are dominated by technicians, drivers and

mobile plant operators and other elementary occupations (see tables 3.16 and 3.17 under

source 5 in annex).5

The Investing in the Future of Jobs and Skills report argues that the EU’s waste hierarchy

means that employment has increased in the prevention and recycling industry and

decreased in landfilling; it cites the UK as an example, where employment in recycling

increases yearly with 7%, while employment in waste disposal decreases with 5%. In total a

small increase of 1-2% is seen. The report goes on to suggest that this change might

influence skills needed in the waste sector, with particular labour skills needed for recycling,

incineration and other treatment plants. The report also suggests that the waste sector

could provide a source of jobs, including for unemployed unskilled or low skilled workers,

and for young qualified and skilled workers/apprentices; the report suggests that in the long

run the demand for qualified work in the waste sector is likely to rise.5

Health

Waste disposal and management can impact negatively on human health if emissions,

leakage, noise, odours etc are not very carefully controlled. Sources of health impacts can

include incineration plants and landfills. EU Directives and Regulations on waste have

therefore doubtless contributed to reducing the negative health impacts of waste

management and disposal. The transportation of waste to sites for

disposal/recovery/recycling also has impacts in terms of emissions.

The SOER 2010 report points out that ‘management and disposal of waste put pressures on

… human health (especially in case of poor waste management)’. Regarding WEEE, the

report points out that health impacts result from bad management of WEEE where

hazardous substances are not captured (e.g. CFCs from fridges and freezers released instead



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of collected). Export of WEEE to third countries (in particular African countries) may also

pose health risks in cases where those countries undertake dismantling and recovery of

valuable materials under poor conditions for human health and the environment; in some

cases child labour may also be a factor. Even when functioning second-hand EEE is legally

exported to non-OECD countries and used for a while, the appliances eventually end up

threatening the health of people and the environment in those countries. Sub-standard, old

and closed landfills are also identified as posing potential health (and environmental) risks.3

There are also health-related safety implications relating to the waste sector. For example,

the Investing in the Future of Jobs and Skills report states that in the UK, around 4,000

accidents (related to heavy weights, slips, trips and falls) happen (presumably per year) in

the waste sector, implying an accident probability per worker of four times the national

average.5

3. Collation of information (if available) re anticipated future trends

No information has been found during the initial research phase on anticipated future

trends. One can reasonably assume, however, that as EU waste Directives continue to be

implemented, the negative impacts of waste and waste management on human health will

continue to diminish.

4. Conclusions

Very little information has so far been found on societal aspects of waste and waste

management. It is therefore not possible to draw meaningful conclusions at this stage.

However, the following important societal aspects can already be assumed:

• A considerable contribution of the waste management, recycling and disposal sectors to

employment in the EU. This is true in terms of the number of employees of large waste-

related companies (e.g. Veolia, Remondis, Suez) right down to the role of smaller, local

social enterprises dealing with re-use of products, which can help to provide

employment for excluded or disadvantaged groups in society.

• In February 2009 the EU Presidency estimated that waste management and recycling

industries in the EU provided between 1.2 and 1.5 million jobs, and that the recycling

sector boasted over 60,000 companies (over 95% of which were SMEs).

• The SOER 2010 report suggests that in 2005 the EU recycling sector included around

70,000 employees in recycling of metal waste and scrap and a further 71,000 in recycling

of non-metal waste and scrap.

• The Impact Assessment for the Waste TS suggested 500,000 jobs in specialised waste

management companies and up to 1 million in waste recovery and recycling businesses

in the EU25 (based on latest data available during preparation of the IA).

• Impacts of waste and waste management on human health can particularly be felt when

waste is poorly managed, for example from emissions, noise, odours etc from

incineration plants and landfills. By its nature, hazardous waste can pose particular

threats to human health.



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5. Ongoing data needs

There are significant gaps in data identified so far. No overall picture of levels of

employment or health impacts have as yet been identified within the sources reviewed by

this project, and although sensible qualitative assumptions can be made, quantitative data is

definitely lacking at present.

Statistical sources in the MS may hold data on the numbers of people employed in waste-

related sectors.

Data will also be located for a future draft of the factsheet on population in the MS to assist

with modelling/scenarios later in the project.

It is unlikely that quantitative data exists on health impacts related to waste.

6. References

Reference

number

Source Link Details Comments on

the information

1 RREUSE Network

website

http://www.rre

use.org/t3/inde

x.php?id=66

2 Presidency Paper to

the Environment

Council on the fall in

demand for recycled

materials (February

2009)

http://register.c

onsilium.europa

.eu/pdf/en/09/s

t06/st06918.en

09.pdf

Limited

statistical data

but some

picture of the

recycling

market in the

EU

3 SOER 2010 - Part B:

first informal

consultation round,

3 November 2009.

First draft of

thematic assessment

on ‘Resource use

and waste’

Saved in library

4 Impact Assessment

on the Thematic

Strategy on the

prevention and

recycling of waste

and the immediate

implementing

measures

Commission Staff

http://ec.europ

a.eu/environme

nt/waste/pdf/ia

_waste.pdf



5

Working Document,

non-official but

public)

5 Investing in the

Future of Jobs and

Skills: Scenarios,

implications and

options in

anticipation of

future skills and

knowledge needs.

Sector Report for

Electricity, Gas,

Water and Waste

(May 2009)

http://ec.europ

a.eu/social/mai

n.jsp?langId=en

&catId=782&ne

wsId=554&furth

erNews=yes

6 Employment Effects

of Waste

Management

Policies, Final Report

(January 2001,

prepared for DG

Environment by Risk

& Policy Analysts

Limited)

http://ec.europ

a.eu/environme

nt/enveco/wast

e/pdf/waste_m

anagement_em

ployment.pdf

Data mainly too

old to be of real

value

7. Next Steps (if any)

Further research is required on this topic to identify whether there is a broad lack of

information on societal aspects related to waste, or whether there are additional sources

that might provide more qualitative or quantitative data that would be of use.

8. Annexes

Source 5:



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