The rapidly increasing quantities of waste generated in European countries are a major concern for Europe’s environment. The annual average rate of increase of these wastes since 1985 in the OECD European area is estimated at around 3 per cent. Present disposal and processing capacity of waste is not sufficient to deal with the expected growth. Often, existing facilities are not adequate to ensure acceptable environmental standards. 

Waste issues become apparent when the environmental impacts of waste management practices are examined:

Economic factors play a critical role in choices to avoid generating of waste or to manage waste production through one of the available options. Virgin materials are generally more competitive that secondary or recycled ones, although the price of virgin materials usually does not fully incorporate the environmental cost of extraction and processing nor cost of their disposal. Improper management and illegal dumping of waste, particularly hazardous and toxic waste, pose increasing threats to the environment and human health . Transfrontier movements of such a waste from countries with strict regulations to less-regulated countries increase the potential environmental risk of waste disposal in countries with insufficient control. There are increasing attempts to bring these problems under control by introducing national and international legislation.