The best waste is the one that is not produced!

Reduce means using fewer resources in the first place. It includes strict avoidance as well as reduction at source. Waste reduction can be defined as the complete range of measures and actions taken up before a substance, material or product becomes waste. Why is waste reduction so important? Waste reduction is an emergency for the European Union. Household waste has doubled in weight since 1970 and stayed at a high level since 15 years. In 2011, 500 kg of municipal waste were generated per person in the EU Member States (EU-27, average. Source: Eurostat). This waste is the result of non-sustainable modes of production and consumption. Furthermore, the consumption of products (including their production, transport and distribution), represents nearly 50% of emissions contributing to climate change. This increase in the amount of waste to be managed requires more collection and treatment infrastructures, the cost of which puts a strain on the budgets of local and regional public authorities. In this context, waste reduction has become a simple and essential concept in the area of waste management: it is a fundamental technical factor in waste management at local level but also a notion that should remind us of the scarcity of natural resources.