Article 4 — Waste hierarchy

1. The following waste hierarchy shall apply as a priority order in waste prevention and management legislation and policy: (a) prevention; (b) preparing for re-use; (c) recycling; (d) other recovery, e.g. energy recovery; and (e) disposal. 2. When applying the waste hierarchy referred to in paragraph 1, Member States shall take measures to encourage the options that deliver the best overall environmental outcome. This may require specific waste streams departing from the hierarchy where this is justified by life-cycle thinking on the overall impacts of the generation and management of such waste. Member States shall ensure that the development of waste legislation and policy is a fully transparent process, observing existing national rules about the consultation and involvement of citizens and stakeholders. Member States shall take into account the general environmental protection principles of precaution and sustainability, technical feasibility and economic viability, protection of resources as well as the overall environmental, human health, economic and social impacts, in accordance with Articles 1 and 13. 3. Member States shall make use of economic instruments and other measures to provide incentives for the application of the waste hierarchy, such as those indicated in Annex IVa or other appropriate instruments and measures.

DIRECTIVE 2012/19/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of… (EU) · Directive (EU) 2018/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council… (EU) · REGULATION (EU) 2025/40 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL… (EU) · Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the… (EU) · Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the… (EU) · +1 more — sign in to see which provisions, and what they say.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as consolidated on 2025-10-16; changes after this date are not shown.