The European Commission has launched a consultation on whether there is a need to change Europe’s legally binding waste and recycling targets in line with the Resource Efficiency Roadmap, published in 2011.

Stakeholders are asked for their views on future recycling targets for household and commercial waste, with options between 50% and 90% as well as individual recycling targets for packaging waste. The questionnaire also asks whether there should be a maximum level of incineration for different waste streams between 10% and 55%.

Respondents are also being asked to comment on whether individual targets should be set for material streams such as wood, food waste or textiles and whether reporting methods should be standardised, so that all Member States calculate performance in the same way.

Meanwhile, views are also sought on whether certain materials should be ‘weighted’, to encourage more recycling of waste streams for which there is a greater environmental benefit in recycling and whether a target for the prevention of packaging waste should be introduced.

Responses are being sought from industry, not for profit or academic organisations, public authority representatives and members of the public. The consultation is set to run until September 10 2013.