Press Release: When is waste no longer waste? When it meets the new end-of-waste criteria designed to develop our recycling markets

Waste generated by European industries and consumers is increasingly being reprocessed into secondary raw materials and new products instead of being buried in landfills. However, in the past there has been a lack of clear criteria determining when a material recovered from waste ceases to be waste and can be dealt with as other products or raw materials. The first end-of-waste Regulation adopted today sets such criteria for iron and steel scrap and for aluminium scrap. It aims to stimulate European recycling markets.