European waste taxes are inconsistent enough that landfill could become cheaper than energy-from-waste in some countries, according to a new RDF Industry Group report. It reviewed 38 countries and found 24 have landfill taxes, 14 have none, and rates range from about 11 to 154 euros per tonne. The group warns that when carbon pricing on incineration is added on top of existing national taxes, the financial signal to keep waste out of landfill can weaken or reverse. Using a modelled carbon price of 110 euros per tonne of CO2 and expected 2030 tax changes, the report sees Italy and Romania flip from taxing landfill more than incineration to the opposite. Portugal and Greece move close to parity. The UK keeps a strong gap in favour of recovery, but cross-border waste-derived fuel movements could still be driven by tax differences rather than facility performance. RDFIG recommends harmonising residual waste taxes, using ETS as the default EfW carbon mechanism, and protecting recycled material competitiveness. The article is worth reading for anyone tracking EU ETS expansion to waste incineration, which starts phasing in from 2031, and UK ETS plans that still have no confirmed date. It shows how carbon pricing interacts with existing waste taxes, and why policy design matters for both emissions and waste markets.
