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News article19 September 2022Directorate-General for Environment

The power of waste: Boosting its use to supply clean energy and organic fertilisers

Today EU public authorities and practitioners from the waste-recycling industry gather to discuss how to divert biowaste from landfills and use it to produce bio-energy and compost. The Commission facilitates these discussions to enhance the implementation of environmental legislation, ensure rapid and accurate transposition and promote all available tools. 

Bio-waste management will be discussed in the broader context of the Circular Economy aspects of the European Green Deal and other related EU policies, including the Farm-to-Fork strategy, the objectives of increased strategic autonomy in fertilisers, energy and biofuels and the Fit-for-55 strategy. The Commission also seeks to ensure related investments, for example in anaerobic digestion, and to stimulate demand and effective markets for organic nutrients and biomethane.  

165 participants from the Ministries of the Environment, Development and Environmental Agencies from nearly all EU Member States will convene to the event from 19-20 September. It is organised through a peer-learning tool for environment authorities, the TAIEX - Environmental Implementation Review.  

Background  

The EU produces almost 910 million tonnes of bio-waste every year; which is about 180 kilos of bio-waste per person. Technologies exist to convert this waste into bio-resources, such as bio-energy, digestate and organic compost, yet in many Member States virtually all of it still goes to landfill where it emits methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. 

In 2018 the European Waste Framework Directive was revised to state that bio-waste should be either separated and recycled at source or collected separately and not mixed with other types of waste. This will require major efforts by Member States to meet the deadline for implementation on 31st December 2023. But it also provides major opportunities to build circular economy business models and jobs on this waste stream.

Details

Publication date
19 September 2022
Author
Directorate-General for Environment

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