An estimated 1.3 billion tones of waste is generated annually in the EU and this is still steadily increasing. The overall volume of waste is growing at rates proportional to the economic growth rate of the EU25. Amongst the various streams of waste generated, management of hazardous and municipal waste alone costs the EU an estimated EUR75 billion annually. This translates to the waste management and recycling industry earning huge revenues that are expected to increase enormously in the next few years.