Glossary

The Proportionality Principle means matching efforts to a problem’s size—using fair, balanced actions in sustainability to avoid waste and ensure effective, practical environmental care.

Duty of Care means responsibly managing waste to prevent harm, following rules for safe storage, transport, and disposal, while tracking it to protect people and the environment.

A Waste Prevention Programme helps reduce waste by encouraging smarter use, repair, and reuse of products. It saves resources, cuts pollution, and supports a cleaner, greener planet for all.

Choose products with less packaging, fix items instead of discarding, reuse things, recycle properly, and avoid single-use goods to reduce waste and support a healthier planet every day.

Integrated Pollution Prevention helps industries reduce waste and emissions by improving processes, using cleaner tech, and recycling materials, benefiting the environment, health, and business.

The Self-Sufficiency Principle means meeting needs locally by reusing, recycling, and using renewable resources. It cuts waste, saves energy, boosts resilience, and supports the environment and communities.

The Precautionary Principle means choosing safety first to protect health and nature when risks are unclear, helping prevent harm and support sustainable, responsible decisions for the future.

Best Available Techniques (BAT) are the best practical methods industries use to reduce pollution, save resources, and protect health, balancing effectiveness and cost under European laws.

Packaging waste under PPWR means discarded packaging materials. The EU law aims to make all packaging recyclable by 2030, cut single-use plastics, boost reuse, and reduce harmful substances for a greener future.