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Guiding the mainstreaming of best biowaste recycling practices in Europe

Reference: LIFE21-PRE-ES-LIFE-BIOBEST/101086420 | Acronym: LIFE21-PRE-ES-LIFE BIOBEST

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Amongst other kinds of waste, the EU Waste Framework Directive covers biodegradable garden and park waste; food and kitchen waste from households, restaurants, caterers and retail premises; and waste from food processing plants. 

 

Local authorities in the EU generate between 118 and 138 million tonnes of bio-waste each year, accounting for around 34% of all municipal waste. There is significant potential for such waste to be recycled into valuable products such as soil improvers and fertilisers, and to contribute to a more circular economy.

 

The Waste Framework Directive sets targets for local authorities to collect bio-waste separately, recycle it and prepare it for reuse:  55% by 2025, 60% by 2030 and 65% by 2035. As a result, from the end of 2023 onwards, all EU Member States have been required to collect bio-waste separately or ensure recycling at source, meaning that, by 2027, compost derived from mixed municipal waste will no longer count towards statutory recycling targets.Despite these legal obligations, current collection systems differ widely across Europe, with significant variations both in recycling rates and the quality of the resulting compost and digestate. 

 

The definition of a management framework for best practices in separate collection and recycling is crucial in order to realise the maximum potential of bio-waste and to support the circular economy roadmap proposed by the European Commission. Such a management framework should take into consideration local factors influencing bio-waste management including the range of urban density, structure and population.



OBJECTIVES

The LIFE BIOBEST project aims to identify both the enabling conditions and the barriers faced by local authorities to optimise bio-waste separation and recycling. The project team will devise realistic practices and quality standards for bio-waste recycling, and will build on the growing network of municipalities to provide, enhance and disseminate existing knowledge and expertise.



RESULTS

The expected results of the LIFE BIOBEST project are:

  • 3 sets of validated best practice guidelines for:
    • separate collection
    • governance and economic initiatives
    • promotion of high-quality compost and digestate
  • a briefing paper outlining policy and regulatory barriers to producing high-quality compost and digestate from bio-waste
  • 2 decision-trees to guide local and regional authorities through the implementation of the proposed best practices
  • a set of proposed EU quality standards for recycling bio-waste into high-quality compost and digestate
  • a comprehensive EU guide and summary in 11 official EU languages (German (DE, AT and BE), English (UK and IE), Spanish, Danish, Finnish, French (FR and BE), Dutch (NL and BE), Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish (SE and FI)).


As a result, the project expects:

 

  • growth in EU-wide bio-waste separate collection rates of 20-30% from 71kg/person/year in 2017/18 to 90kg/person/year by the end of 2025
  • increase in input purity of 5% 
  • reduction in sorting losses from 15% to 10%, leading to higher quality compost and digestate, and reduced soil contamination

ADMINISTRATIVE DATA


Reference: LIFE21-PRE-ES-LIFE-BIOBEST/101086420
Acronym: LIFE21-PRE-ES-LIFE BIOBEST
Start Date: 01/01/2023
End Date: 30/06/2025
Total Eligible Budget: 1,664,600 €
EU Contribution: 1,498,140 €

CONTACT DETAILS


Coordinating Beneficiary: FUNDACIO ENT
Legal Status: PRIVATE
Address: CARRER JOSEP LLANZA, NUMERO 7, PIS SEGON, OFICINA, 08800, VILLANOVA I LA GELTRU,
Contact Person: Gemma Nohales Duarte
Email: Send Email
Website: Visit Website


ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ADDRESSED

THEMES

  • Municipal waste (including household and commercial)
  • Waste recycling
  • Soil and landscape protection
  • Resource efficiency

KEYWORDS

  • waste management
  • contamined soil
  • domestic waste
  • recycling potential
  • waste recycling
  • waste treatment
  • waste collection
  • recycling
  • environmental performance
  • municipal waste
  • organic waste
  • compost
  • solid waste
  • soil
  • landfill
  • management planning
  • environmentally responsible behaviour
  • fertiliser
  • organic matter

TARGET EU LEGISLATION

  • Directive 1999/31 - Landfill of waste (26.04.1999)
  • Directive (EU) 2018/850 amending Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste (30.05.2018)
  • COM(2014)398 - "Towards a circular economy: a zero waste programme for Europe" (02.07.2014)
  • COM(2015)614 - "Closing the loop - An EU action plan for the Circular Economy" (02.12.2015)
  • Directive (EU) 2018/851 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (30.05.2018)

PARTNERSHIPS

Name Status Type
 FUNDACIO ENT ACTIVE Coordinator
 ASSOCIATION OF CITIES AND REGIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVE Participant
 EUROPEAN COMPOST NETWORK ECN EV ACTIVE Participant
 CONSORZIO ITALIANO COMPOSTATORI ACTIVE Participant
 ZERO WASTE EUROPE ACTIVE Participant