Waste Transport: The Role of Intermodal Freight in advancing the circular economy

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Waste Transport: The Role of Intermodal Freight
in advancing the circular economy

The Waste Transport webinar took place on 5 March 2025, from 14:00 to 15:30 CET, online.

The transition to a carbon-neutral and energy-efficient circular economy is a cornerstone of Europe’s re-industrialisation strategy. A key enabler of this transformation is intermodal freight, which combines the strengths of rail, road, and other transport modes to optimise the movement of goods. For waste transport, intermodal solutions provide a sustainable alternative to unimodal road transport, offering greater efficiency in handling heavy and dense and dangerous materials over long distances. This webinar will explore how intermodal freight can play a pivotal role in enabling more recycling, waste valorisation, and raw material processing—critical components for fostering a sustainable industrial future in Europe.

                                                                                       * * * * * 

Thanks to everyone who joined our webinar today! It was a great discussion and exchange on how intermodal solutions can enhance the efficiency and sustainability of waste shipments while overcoming the current regulatory and operational challenges.

Here are the key takeaways:

🔹Yorg Aerts (DG ENVIRONMENT) provided insights on the revised Waste Shipment Regulation, which introduces 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 to support the European circular economy. Digital procedures will be mandatory from May 2026. 

🔸Fabio Contrafatto (HUPAC) shared a direct operator’s perspective, highlighting the challenges the intermodal sector is facing when handling waste: 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to be accomplished with the new rules – alongside interim measures that require coordination with authorities.

🔹Aizea Astor Hoschen (FEAD) discussed the challenges of waste transport, advocating for 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆. The Austrian case shows the opportunity of transporting waste on rail but underscores the need for careful implementation.

Intermodal transport can be a game changer for waste transport, but challenges remain. A 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 are essential to unlocking its full potential. 

• Catch up with the recording here: https://youtu.be/IDcmeEoY9ME
• Presentation slides are available at the bottom of the page. 

Many thanks again to our speakers for their insights and to all participants for the engaging discussion!