Are you ready for EWWR 2026? To introduce you to this year’s theme, we are launching a new factsheet in collaboration with Zero Waste Europe: “Why is sufficiency the way forward to tackle the waste crisis? On using materials strategically and rethinking consumption in Europe.”

Waste generation in Europe has remained stable over the past decades. Despite years of recycling targets and environmental legislation, the total volume of waste produced across the EU has decreased only very slightly by 0.5% between 2010 and 2022 and reached 5 tonnes per capita in 2022. This is not, at its core, a waste management problem – it reflects how much we produce and consume in the first place.

The Planetary Health Check 2025 puts the scale of the problem in sharp relief: the global economy has now breached 7 out of 9 planetary boundaries – the thresholds within which human societies can safely operate. Better waste treatment and recycling rates matter, but they address the symptoms. The underlying driver is the rate at which resources are extracted, used, and discarded. Tackling that requires a different approach: sufficiency.

What is sufficiency – and why does it matter?

Sufficiency starts from a straightforward question: how much do we really need?

Rather than focusing on how to manage waste once it exists, sufficiency tackles what drives waste in the first place: the volume and nature of what we produce and consume.

In waste policy, this is reflected at the top of the waste hierarchy: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce. These three steps sit above reuse, recycling, and disposal in the hierarchy because they are the most effective at preventing waste and cutting environmental impact, yet in practice, they receive far less policy attention than the steps below them.

Applying sufficiency principles and rethinking consumption does not mean accepting a lower quality of life. It means better aligning what is produced and sold with what people actually need – instead of what commercial systems are designed to encourage us to buy. The goal is not austerity; it is producing and consuming in ways that genuinely serve human wellbeing.

Europe’s circularity gap: ambition versus reality

The EU has set an ambitious target of 24% circularity by 2030. The current rate, as of 2024, stands at just 11.8% and has barely changed since 2010. At this pace, the target is out of reach without a fundamental change in approach.

‘Circularity’ refers to the share of materials that are recovered and fed back into the economy rather than lost as waste. Closing this gap matters not just environmentally, but economically. Europe is heavily dependent on imported raw materials, especially metals and fossil-based materials, and in an increasingly unstable world – where climate disruption and geopolitical tensions can sever supply chains overnight – that dependency is a real vulnerability. Reusing and recycling materials already in circulation can help EU businesses become more resilient and more competitive over the long term.

The strategic use of materials: choosing what matters most

Not all materials carry the same environmental cost or strategic importance. A sufficiency approach asks us to be deliberate about what gets produced, from what, and for what purpose. Strategic use of materials means reducing overall consumption while prioritising scarce resources for the sectors and applications that deliver the highest value to society – healthcare, food systems, clean energy – rather than disposable or low-value products.

Keeping critical materials in circulation longer also reduces exposure to supply disruptions. When less is wasted, less needs to be imported – with direct consequences for economic security.

Creating the conditions for sufficiency to thrive

Raising awareness among citizens about consumption can only be a starting point, not a solution. The systems around us – pricing, regulations, infrastructure, business models – shape what choices are available. Making sufficiency viable in practice requires changing those systems. What is urgently needed are the following:

• Fair pricing of new materials: placing a fair price on the use of virgin (newly extracted) materials would create market incentives that favour circular businesses – whether in repair, reuse, or manufacturing with recycled inputs. The forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act aims to position the EU as a global leader in the circular economy by 2030. Pricing reform is central to making that credible.
• Using the full potential of existing circular instruments: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), green public procurement, tax incentives, and targeted investments can make a difference.
• New business models: product-as-a-service models (where you pay for access, not ownership), repair and maintenance services, reusable packaging, and second-hand or refurbishment systems are all models that reduce waste while keeping value in the economy. Many can be locally based and community-driven, offering benefits that go beyond reduced waste: stronger local economies and greater social connection.

The bottom line

Recycling is necessary, but it cannot keep pace with the volume of waste being generated. As long as production rates continue to rise, managing the output will always lag behind. ‘Sufficiency’ means looking upstream – and asking the question: what gets made, how much, and why?

With planetary boundaries already breached and circularity rates stalling, Europe cannot afford to rely on incremental adjustments. A sufficiency-led approach, built on fair pricing, new business models, and policy that takes prevention seriously is not a radical idea. It is the logical next step.

Author: Theresa Mörsen, Waste and Resource Policy Manager at Zero Waste Europe