Project description
The IMPEL Landfill Inspection Project aimed improving the consistency, quality, and effectiveness of landfill inspections and pre-treatment practices across the European Union. Since its launch in 2011, the project has brought together environmental authorities, inspectors, and experts from numerous EU Member States to share knowledge, conduct joint inspections, and develop practical tools for enforcement and compliance with the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC).
This project has delivered a series of reports, guidance documents, and survey analyses through workshops, field visits, and collaborative meetings across Europe.
Project Achievements
- Conducted joint inspections in over 10 countries, focusing on key areas such as waste acceptance, gas control, groundwater protection, and leachate management.
- Developed the Landfill Inspection Guidance Book and a standardized inspection checklist, used by authorities across Europe.
- Identified implementation gaps in the Landfill Directive and submitted targeted recommendations to the European Commission and Member States.
- Promoted inspector training and knowledge exchange through workshops, meetings, and site visits.
- Explored links between landfilling, pre-treatment practices, and the circular economy, including the role of landfill mining.
Setting the Stage for the Waste and Circular Economy Project
Landfill Project Meetings in Riga, Bratislava , Brussels, Malta, Zaandam (2016-2017): The final phase of the Landfill Inspection Project (2016–2017) played a key role in shaping the Waste Management and Circular Economy Project. Through a series of strategic meetings in Malta, Zaandam, Riga, Bratislava, and Brussels, the project contributed critical insights on pre-treatment practices, End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria, and sustainable landfill management. These efforts helped align inspection approaches across Member States and laid the groundwork for integrating landfill oversight into broader circular economy strategies.
Project Outputs
Guidance book for Landfill Inspection/ 2024
The guidance provides detailed information on the Landfill Directive and related Council Decisions, and outlines best practices for various aspects of landfill management, such as waste acceptance criteria, stable non-reactive waste, asbestos handling, biogas control, and groundwater protection. Furthermore, the book details the organization and preparation of inspections, including desk studies and on-site procedures, and addresses crucial elements like financial guarantees, landfill operator self-monitoring, and reporting requirements, all contributing to a more consistent and effective regulatory regime for landfills.
Guidance book for landfill inspections (version 2016)
This guidance book offers practical advice for inspecting landfills, focusing on ensuring compliance with EU environmental law, particularly the Landfill Directive. It covers key aspects of landfill operation and regulation, including waste acceptance criteria, biogas control, water management, and the construction and closure of landfill sites. The document details legal requirements, best practices, and provides checklists for inspectors to use during both preparatory desk studies and on-site visits, aiming to promote consistent and effective enforcement across European member states. The guidance emphasizes proper waste characterization and handling, pollution prevention concerning water and soil, and the control of landfill gas emissions to minimize environmental impact.
Landfill Directive Implementation Gaps Analysis (2016)
The report examines the inconsistencies in implementing the Landfill Directive. It focuses on critical areas such as waste acceptance procedures, sampling plans, pre-treatment requirements, and monitoring protocols, revealing different national approaches that can lead to uneven enforcement and environmental protection. The report proposes recommendations for the EC and MS.
Landfill Project Reports: (2011-2012), (2013), (2014)
These reports summarizes various project activities including joint inspections, workshops, and training sessions resulting in a draft guidance document and standardized checklist to support consistent application of the Landfill Directive. Key activities included online information exchange, a knowledge gap survey, and joint inspections in countries such as Slovenia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, England, and Portugal, focusing on areas like waste acceptance, gas control, and groundwater protection. The findings highlighted the importance of continued inspector training and the need to regularly update inspection tools based on field experience.
The report includes an analysis of the different approaches to evaluate the need of a treatment before landfilling, an analysis of criteria and technologies for waste treatment, permitting instructions for the mixing of the waste - observations on a common methodology to evaluate ANC when dealing with Stable non reactive waste, suggestions for a proper inspection to assess compliance with treatment of both MSW and industrial waste.