Waste Management and the Circular Economy in Selected OECD Countries
Evidence from Environmental Performance Reviews
This report provides a cross-country review of waste, materials management and circular economy policies in selected OECD countries, drawing on OECD’s Environmental Performance Reviews during the period 2010-17. It presents the main achievements in the countries reviewed, along with common trends and policy challenges, and provides insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of waste, materials management and circular economy policy frameworks. As the selected reviews were published over a seven-year period, information for some countries may be more recent than for others. Nevertheless, the policy recommendations emerging from the reviews may provide useful lessons for other OECD countries and partner economies.
Preface
Recent decades have witnessed an unprecedented growth in demand for natural resources and materials. Globally, the use of material resources grew from 27 billion tonnes in 1970 to 89 billion tonnes in 2017 and it is projected to increase further to 167 billion tonnes in 2060 (OECD Global Material Resources Outlook to 2060). The environmental consequences of material use will be magnified with the projected doubling of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution to the soil, water and air and damaging effects on ecosystems. Against this background, there is a growing imperative to transition to a more resource efficient and circular economy.