Hungary has managed to decouple the increase of many environmental pressures from its economic growth and has a long-established policy and legal framework for waste management, supported with quantitative targets and economic instruments. The national waste framework is aligned with the relevant European Union (EU) legislation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Council decisions. However, Hungary has not yet succeeded in integrating circular economy principles into its sectoral policies nor has it adopted a whole-of-government approach to the circular economy transition. For instance, although waste quantities have decreased, waste management practices have not improved significantly, leading to linear life cycles with landfilling remaining the most frequent
treatment option. The share of secondary materials used from recycled products is low, well below the EU average. In addition, Hungary’s material resource productivity is below the OECD average, pointing to the inefficient use of resources in generating economic value.
