91999E1502

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1502/99

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: The Commission's intentions concerning rules on the dumping of waste carpet materials

The RECAM (Recycling of Carpet Materials) project has recently been completed after three years. The project was supported by the Commission via BRITE-EURAM programmes. The main conclusion was that if, in the next few years, there are European rules to put an end to the possibility of the uncontrolled dumping of waste carpet materials, a European system for the recycling of more than 1 million tonnes of carpet waste can be set up.

1. Is the Commission aware of the conclusion of the RECAM project, which it has helped to finance, and does it subscribe to it?

2. Does the Commission have any specific plans to introduce rules on the lines described above and, if so, what are these plans and what timescale is involved?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 1999)

In Europe each year some 1,6 million tonnes of carpet waste ends up in landfills or in municipal waste incinerators. Within the Community there is a growing pressure to stimulate material, chemical, and thermal recycling of waste. These were main objectives of the RECAM (REcycling of CArpet Materials) research project, funded under the Community Industrial and material technology (IMT) (Brite-Euram) programme. The RECAM research project attained valuable technical results that show potential for industrial application with promising environmental benefits, due to an estimated reduction of the carpet waste management costs and of the use of non-renewable fossil fuels, and to a recovery and reuse of high-quality materials. With the aim of implementing the RECAM results and in view of a sustainable waste management system, carpet industries founded the organisation Carpet Recycling Europe (CRE). CRE is announced to be active until the year 2000, but its duration might be extended. According to the information available, CRE is currently realising a demonstration installation for identification and sorting of carpet materials.

The Commission is of the opinion that the creation and development of markets for recycled materials is first of all to be done by private economic operators. The Commission is ready to assist and contribute, if there is need, to such a development, which might even lead, after careful examination, to regulatory activities. In order to discuss all questions of recycling and of promoting the recycling industry, the Commission set up, in 1999, the Recycling forum which is due to submit a final report and suggestions at the end of 1999. No specific request for discussing the recycling of carpets has yet been presented to the Recycling forum and no detailed discussion on the recycling of carpets has yet taken place.