Recycling

The topical questions related to recycling have recently been formulated by the EU-Commission: “Recycling is not only an environmental priority but is also intrinsically profitable in an increasing number of applications, thanks to energy-savings and economies in materials and of other types which recycling permits compared with traditional processes. It is vital, therefore, that the framework conditions (Chrw(133)) do not hinder the development of these activities and on the contrary, that Community action takes due account of the economic and job creation potential of recycling activities” (European Commission, 1998: 1). However, the EU-Commission recognises that recycling, especially the recycling of steel scrap and non-ferrous metals, has existed for a long time and experience shows that “in all cases, the growth of the traditional recycling industries has encountered limitations sooner rather than later, depending on the different materials concerned, in the fort of insufficient demand, precarious and, for the most part, not very competitive market structures and of unbalanced competition from virgin raw materials” (ibidem). Increasing awareness of the environment, political regulation of waste management, and growing demand on the part of society for recycled products have, however, helped to boost a renaissance of recycling not only as an instrument to attain long-term environmental objectives but also as an “example of the complementary character of industrial development and environmental protection” (ibidem).