Over the past several decades, the European Union has grown increasingly concerned about their ever-growing amounts of trash and other assorted rubbish. Ever year, the European Union throws away approximately 1.3 billion metric tons of waste, along with approximately 700 million metric tons of agricultural waste. With that in mind, they established a unified approach to waste management and disposal. This site provides information both on this approach and details about related matters, including the dismantling of ships, sewage treatment, and the incineration of waste. After reading the brief introduction to this topic provided on the homepage, visitors can look over the thematic list of topics along the left-hand side of this page. In each area, visitors can read about various activities, including proposed legislation, working papers, and scientific reports. Two sections which should not be overlooked include the "Sustainable Use of Natural Resources" and the "Integrated Product Policy" area.