This report proposes a bold new idea for EU waste policy: an EU-wide cap-and-trade system to cut residual municipal waste – the waste that remains after prevention, reuse and recycling. 

Instead of pushing waste from landfill to incineration, the proposed scheme would put a binding limit on total residuals, creating a strong incentive for waste prevention, reuse, refill and high-quality recycling. 

The report also explains why major mineral and combustion wastes should be treated separately, and outlines how a fair, per-capita system could work in practice across the Member States, supported by robust monitoring and verification.