Adding Incineration to EU ETS Won’t Drive Landfilling, ZWE Reports

Including waste incineration in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is unlikely to lead to increased landfilling across Europe, according to environmental network Zero Waste Europe (ZWE).

The civil society organization’s latest report examined whether reintroducing combustion into the EU ETS—a key policy mechanism for achieving the EU’s climate objectives—would cause a resurgence in landfill use across the continent.

According to ZWE’s findings, such a shift is not expected.

Inclusion is unlikely to boost landfill use given restrictions and taxes. Including incineration supports climate goals and the waste hierarchy. Under current legal and economic conditions, risk is low; most Member States have landfill restrictions and contracts limiting return to disposal.

The report, written by UK-based consultancy firm Equanimator, highlighted that waste management decisions depend on infrastructure, regulatory systems and contractual obligations. Short-term price changes have less impact. The NGO’s report recommends better enforcement of the Landfill Directive alongside measures to reduce residual waste.

For context, textile waste—specifically synthetic textiles—plays a major role in the “fossil-derived” carbon equation within the EU ETS framework. That’s because manufacturing these garments generates substantial GHG emissions during incineration—providing an economic justification for improved textile collection and recycling systems.

To that end, incineration should be included within the EU ETS as planned, per the report; ZWE proposed introducing an economic instrument to reduce residual municipal waste.

“Price signals alone do not determine waste flows in Europe,” said Janek Vahk, zero pollution policy manager at Zero Waste Europe. “The combination of landfill restrictions, taxes and policy obligations means that a shift to landfill is not only expensive, but heavily restricted by Europe’s policy framework.”