Environment Minister Serge Wilmes presented a new waste and resource management plan on Friday morning, laying out 328 individual measures and 86 targets to achieve by 2030.
Currently, Luxembourg produces around 9 million tons of waste each year, the majority of which is caused by construction excavation. In the future there should be less excavation, Wilmes announced.
He said Luxembourg clearly needs more housing, but argued that the available land should be used more rationally and intelligently. Where possible, he suggested, development should focus on targeted densification rather than using up more land.
More than 70% of Luxembourg’s residual waste does not belong there. More effort is needed on packaging waste, particularly when it comes to plastic and cans. Wilmes warned that a deposit system could be on the cards if the recycling targets are not met, although there are currently no plans to introduce such a system.
Paul Rasqué, director of Resources and Pollution at the Ministry of the Environment, said there was a lack of data with regard to the recycling of packaging in the industrial sector. He said:
“How much of this packaging is on the market in Luxembourg, and how is the waste treated? Is it incinerated? What is the recycling rate? These are questions that must be addressed.”
Valorlux, the organisation responsible for coordinating packaging waste collection and recycling in Luxembourg, has been tasked with collecting this data. The polluter-pays principle will also be applied more widely, in adherence to an EU directive targeting the textile industry.
Rasqué explained that manufacturers are responsible for organising collections, improving the management of their waste, and working with social stakeholders. These requirements are set out in the directive and should be brought into line with existing collection systems, he said.
From July this year, unsold textiles are no longer permitted to be destroyed.
The Greens react
The Greens (déi gréng), in opposition, appeared less than convinced by the new plan. MP and former environment minister Joëlle Welfring said it lacked concrete, innovative ideas.
She explained that much of what Wilmes presented and what is legally stipulated is just a rewrite of the European directive texts.
She added that it is a missed chance to develop a more innovative approach in Luxembourg and to give businesses and start-ups a chance to develop initiatives in order to take a leading role in managing waste in Europe.
The Greens requested the plan be officially presented to the respective parliamentary committee.
