EWC Code
Separately collected fractions (except 15 01)
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume
~90M tonnes/yr separately collected (EU-27)
Valorisation Range
Aluminium cans: €700–1100/tonne; glass cullet: €30–80/tonne; mixed paper: €50–180/tonne; clear PET: €200–450/tonne
Primary Route
Material Recycling (MRF + Reprocessing)
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Get contacts for EWC 20 01EWC 20 01 covers waste streams separately collected from municipal sources under organised collection programmes, excluding packaging waste under Chapter 15 01. Key streams include ferrous and non-ferrous metals, glass, paper and cardboard, plastics, biodegradable kitchen and garden waste, electrical equipment, batteries, and wood.
EU Directive 2018/851 (amended Waste Framework Directive) mandates separate collection for paper, metal, plastic, and glass from 2025, and for biowaste from 2023. Member States must achieve 55% preparation for reuse and recycling of municipal waste by 2025, rising to 65% by 2035. These targets drive investment in collection infrastructure and secondary material markets.
Market prices for sorted fractions are highly volatile, driven by commodity cycles, Chinese National Sword import restrictions (2018), and EU recycled content mandates. Aluminium and copper fractions carry the highest value; mixed plastics and contaminated glass the lowest. Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) produce specification-grade secondary raw materials from incoming separately collected streams.
Typical Generators
Established valorisation pathways for EWC 20 01, ranked by economic value and market depth. Material Recycling (MRF + Reprocessing) is the primary route.
Sorted fractions processed at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and sold to reprocessors: glass cullet to glass furnaces (replacing 1:1 primary batch); aluminium to secondary smelters (95% energy saving vs primary); paper to paper mills (30–40% primary fibre replacement). Gate fees: negative for clean fractions; €20–60/tonne for mixed or contaminated inputs.
Separately collected biowaste (food and garden waste) processed via anaerobic digestion (biogas + digestate) or composting (certified soil conditioner). AD plants produce 100–150 Nm³ biogas/tonne wet weight; digestate sold as certified fertiliser replacing synthetic NPK. Gate fee: €40–90/tonne.
Residual fractions not meeting secondary material specifications (contaminated glass, mixed plastics below grade) directed to Energy from Waste (EfW) incineration with heat and power recovery. Must meet R1 energy efficiency threshold (0.65 for pre-2009 plants, 0.60 for post-2009) under Directive 2008/98/EC to qualify as recovery rather than disposal.
These are the established routes for EWC 20 01. Which one your stream qualifies for depends on its composition, volume and region.
Get the ranked options for your streamPrimary & secondary off-takers
Glass cullet as batch raw material replacement (up to 90% cullet content)
Secondary aluminium smelting from separately collected cans and foil
Recovered paper as primary furnish in newsprint and packaging grades
MRF sorting, composting, and anaerobic digestion of biowaste fractions
Source: NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat, 2008
Key legislative frameworks governing EWC 20 01 classification, transport, and treatment.
Mandates separate collection for paper, metal, plastic, glass (2025) and biowaste (2023). Recycling targets: 55% municipal waste by 2025, 60% by 2030, 65% by 2035.
Separate targets for packaging fractions within 20 01: 70% weight recycling by 2025, 80% by 2030. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes fund collection and sorting infrastructure.
Biowaste must be separated at source or collected separately by 31 December 2023. Quality standards for compost and digestate output defined in national implementing legislation.
Compost EN 13432, glass cullet (no EU-wide EoW criteria — national regimes apply), aluminium secondary alloys (EN 1676). EoW status removes waste classification once specified quality criteria met.
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Waste-stream pages and resources connected to EWC 20 01 valorisation.
Explore EU waste flows — Waste Atlas
Visualise 17 years of E-PRTR industrial facility data. See how EWC 20 01 and related waste streams flow across European industries and sectors.
Source: EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC · NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat 2008
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