Circular Economy
Waste Prevention
Definition
Waste prevention refers to actions that avoid the generation of waste in the first place, including designing longer-lasting and repairable products, reducing material intensity, reusing items, and changing consumption patterns. It sits at the top of the waste hierarchy, ahead of reuse, recycling, recovery and disposal.
References
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This reference provides supporting context for how “Waste Prevention” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
Member states must adopt waste prevention programmes under EU law; companies pursue prevention through eco-design and process efficiency; municipalities run prevention campaigns on food waste and single-use items; reporting frameworks credit prevention as the highest-value waste outcome.
Why it matters
Waste that is never created requires no collection, treatment or disposal, avoiding emissions and costs throughout the system. Prevention delivers the largest environmental gains of any waste strategy.