New report on Waste management in Europe: companies, structure and employment

(25 September 2012) This new report examines the most recent developments in the waste management sector in Europe. It explores the activities of private companies, many of which are multinational companies. It details the impact of the social, economic and financial crisis on the sector and considers employment developments as the sector is often seen to be creating jobs and keeping the planet green and clean. The report concludes:
- There have been few changes of ownership since 2007. The largest multinational companies in the sector remain Veolia and Suez both French, followed by Spanish FCC and German Remondis.
- The industrial and commercial waste market has shrunk, impacting on the companies as volumes decline and profits are reduced. They are attempting to restore profits by cutting costs, including in their contracts with municipalities. The private operators seek long-term contracts for example with incineration. The report also notices that companies attempt to gain new business by importing toxic waste.
- Employment in the sector appears to have been volatile since 2008 as a result of the recession , with different results in different countries. About half the jobs are in the recycling and production of new materials, but collection and sorting of household waste, and civic amenity sites, remain the largest areas of stable employment in the sector. In the EU as a whole employment has continued to grow to nearly 1million, of which roughly 200,000 are public sector, 200,000 employed by multinationals, and 600,000 by other local and national private operators.
- The public private split in municipal waste collection and processing is roughly equal in the largest countries Germany, UK and France. There is a significant amount of remunicipalisation of services, however, which could grow stronger, especially as there is now yet more evidence that the private sector is no more efficient than the public sector. Recent new research also indicates that outsourcing of waste comes at a price to municipalities and therefore they bring back the services “in-house”.The public considers that ownership of incinerators is an issue preferring public ownersip.

The paper was commissioned by EPSU from the University of Greenwhich Public Services International Research Unit, PSIRU is a leading research body on developments in public services such as waste, energy and water. It has over 20 years experience in exploring the activities of private companies. It has monitored the growing involvement of the multinational companies. The paper is part of a series in which EPSU explores the activities of the private sector in key public services. Previous papers on the energy sector and the water sector were released recently. The papers give an overview of multinational company developments and assist trade unions in considering which companies qualify for a European Works Council. They also reveal major trends in the sector.

- The waste paper can be downloaded here