EWC Code
Textiles
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume (EU)
~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)
EWC 20 01 11 is a specific sub-code under EWC 20 01 — Separately collected fractions (except 15 01). The classification guidance below applies to this waste stream.
EWC 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 11, ranked by economic value and market depth.
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.
Primary & 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
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