Europe ‘falling short’ of bio-waste capture potential

The consortium said that, while Article 22 of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) has brought bio-waste management into the spotlight, the past year has proved that much more needs to be done.

Article 22 of the WFD required all EU member states to either separately collect bio-waste or apply home composting solutions by the end of 2023.

In 2024, ZWE and Bio-based Industries Consortium found that 74% of all kitchen waste generated in the EU still ends up in landfills or incinerators. This amounts to 45 million tonnes of food waste that is not being properly managed.

Project coordinators from the ENT Foundation, which is part of LIFE BIOBEST, commented: “We know that bio-waste remains deprioritised across much of the EU, even despite the new requirement for separate collection.

“There is need for further intervention and guidance from upper-level authorities, including targets on the quality of bio-waste and quantity of bio-waste in the residual waste. Local entities should be guided and trained to implement high efficiency systems.”

Manon Jourdan, implementation officer at Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), added: “LIFE BIOBEST has provided a roadmap for better bio-waste management – now we need the will to use it. Let’s seize this chance to turn empty talk into lasting action.”

What is the LIFE BIOBEST project?

The LIFE BIOBEST project was funded by the European Union to bring together experts from the Consorzio Italiano Compostatori (CIC), Fundació ENT, European Compost Network (ECN), and Zero Waste Europe (ZWE). The project will run for 30 months and is not in its 18th month.

It aims to develop guidelines and analyse best practices from numerous regions across Europe to provide local authorities with tools and information to implement and improve bio-waste management.

The consortium has now called on municipalities, waste management companies, and policymakers to strengthen their waste management strategies to maximise the environmental and economic benefits of high-quality compost and digestate production and application.