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EU Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC

EU Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC: Restricts waste disposal and limits municipal waste sent to landfill to 10% by 2035

Maílis Carrilho
Written by Maílis Carrilho
Published Nov 5, 2026

Summary

The EU Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC establishes environmental and operational requirements for landfill disposal and supports the transition toward recycling and resource recovery. Landfills must operate under permits, apply waste acceptance procedures, manage pollution risks, and monitor facilities during operation and after closure. Following the 2018 circular economy amendment, Member States must restrict the landfilling of waste suitable for recycling or other recovery from 2030 and reduce municipal waste sent to landfill to no more than 10% by 2035. The Directive is legally binding through national implementation, with penalties, permit controls and enforcement determined by Member States.

Details

Jurisdictions
  • European Union
Mandatory for

Member States must implement requirements covering:

Landfill permitting.
Waste acceptance.
Technical standards.
Environmental monitoring.
Closure and after-care.
Reduction of landfilling.
Reporting and traceability.

Landfill operators must comply with national laws implementing those requirements.

Exemptions

Certain provisions contain specific exemptions or alternative treatment arrangements.

The prohibition on landfilling waste suitable for recycling or recovery can also accommodate waste for which landfill delivers the best environmental outcome according to the waste hierarchy and lifecycle considerations.

Deep dive

4 min read
Published Nov 5, 2026

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What’s Required

1. Classify landfill facilities

The Directive distinguishes between:

  1. Landfills for hazardous waste.

  2. Landfills for non-hazardous waste.

  3. Landfills for inert waste.

Waste must be directed to an appropriate landfill category.

2. Obtain a landfill permit

Landfill operators must operate under permits issued in accordance with national legislation implementing the Directive.

Permits address issues such as:

  • Types and quantities of waste accepted.

  • Technical requirements.

  • Environmental protection measures.

  • Monitoring.

  • Closure.

  • After-care.

3. Apply waste acceptance procedures

Operators must ensure that waste is suitable for the landfill concerned.

Waste acceptance systems include:

  1. Characterization.

  2. Documentation.

  3. Verification.

  4. Testing where applicable.

  5. Recordkeeping.

Specific EU waste acceptance criteria are established through supplementary legislation.

4. Treat waste before landfilling

Waste generally must undergo treatment before disposal unless treatment is technically inappropriate or would not contribute to the Directive's environmental objectives.

This supports the waste hierarchy by discouraging direct disposal of recoverable resources.

5. Prevent environmental contamination

Landfills must be designed and operated to reduce risks including:

  1. Soil contamination.

  2. Groundwater contamination.

  3. Surface water pollution.

  4. Landfill gas emissions.

  5. Odors.

  6. Dust.

  7. Fires.

  8. Environmental and health risks.

6. Manage landfill gas

Where biodegradable waste produces landfill gas, facilities must collect and manage it.

Where practical, landfill gas should be used for energy recovery. Otherwise, it should be appropriately treated, including through flaring where necessary.

7. Reduce biodegradable municipal waste

Member States have historically been required to progressively reduce biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.

This has supported expansion of:

  • Recycling.

  • Composting.

  • Anaerobic digestion.

  • Waste prevention.

  • Other recovery pathways.

8. Restrict recyclable and recoverable waste

From 2030, Member States must ensure that waste suitable for recycling or other recovery is not accepted at landfill, subject to defined exceptions where landfill produces the best environmental outcome.

9. Meet the 2035 municipal waste target

By 2035, the amount of municipal waste landfilled must be reduced to:

10% or less of total municipal waste generated by weight.

10. Monitor closed landfills

Environmental responsibilities continue after disposal operations stop.

Operators can be required to monitor:

  1. Leachate.

  2. Groundwater.

  3. Landfill gas.

  4. Structural stability.

  5. Environmental impacts.

During the after-care period.

11. Reflect full landfill costs

The Directive applies the polluter-pays principle and requires landfill pricing to take account of establishment, operation, closure and after-care costs.

Important Deadlines

  1. April 26, 1999: Directive adopted.

  2. July 16, 1999: Entered into force.

  3. July 16, 2001: Original transposition deadline for Member States.

  4. July 5, 2020: Deadline for transposition of the major 2018 amendments.

  5. 2030: Restrictions apply to landfilling waste suitable for recycling or other recovery.

  6. 2035: Municipal waste sent to landfill must generally be reduced to 10% or less by weight.

Current Status

Active and legally binding.

The Directive remains in force in 2026, with the current consolidated text incorporating amendments including Directive (EU) 2018/850 and Directive (EU) 2024/1785.

The European Commission and European Environment Agency also use an early warning system to identify Member States at risk of missing recycling and landfill targets.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The Directive requires implementation through Member State legislation, so penalty levels are determined nationally rather than by a single EU-wide fine schedule.

Potential consequences can include:

  1. Administrative fines.

  2. Suspension or withdrawal of landfill permits.

  3. Closure orders.

  4. Remediation requirements.

  5. Environmental liability.

  6. Criminal penalties for serious unlawful waste disposal under applicable national law.

Examples of Known Violations / Failure Modes

  1. Operating a landfill without the required permit.

  2. Accepting prohibited waste.

  3. Accepting inadequately treated waste.

  4. Incorrect waste classification.

  5. Failure to conduct acceptance testing.

  6. Inadequate leachate management.

  7. Failure to collect or control landfill gas.

  8. Groundwater contamination.

  9. Failure to maintain monitoring systems.

  10. Inadequate closure or aftercare.

  11. Incorrect reporting of municipal waste disposal.

  12. Sending recyclable waste to landfill contrary to applicable restrictions.

  13. Failure to maintain waste traceability.

Resources

Maílis Carrilho
Added by:
Maílis Carrilho
Sustainability Research Analyst
Maílis Carrilho is a Sustainability Research Analyst (Intern) at Net Zero Compare, contributing research and analysis on climate tech, carbon policies, and sustainable solutions. She supports the team in developing fact-based content and insights to help companies and readers navigate the evolving sustainability landscape.
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Added on Nov 5, 2026 by Maílis Carrilho ·
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