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Biodegradable waste

Bio-waste primarily includes biodegradable garden/park waste as well as household, restaurant, and retail food/kitchen waste. It excludes agricultural residues, manure, sewage sludge, and other biodegradable materials like natural textiles or paper.

Environmental Concerns
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• The decomposition of bio-waste in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In the EU-15, landfill methane accounted for about 3% of total GHG emissions in 1995.
• The Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) mandates Member States to reduce landfilled biodegradable municipal waste to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016 (some countries by 2020).

• Bio-waste (i.e., kitchen, garden, and park waste) typically makes up 30–40% of municipal solid waste in many EU Member States. Around 80–90 million tonnes of bio-waste are generated each year in the EU, although estimates vary.
• In the EU-15 in 1995, methane emissions from landfilled biodegradable waste accounted for about 3% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Under the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC), Member States are required to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016 (2020 for some countries).
• Between 1995 and 2018, several Member States achieved significant cuts in landfilling (often above a 50% reduction in biodegradable waste landfilling), though progress varies widely across the EU.
• By 2020, many Member States had introduced or expanded separate bio-waste collection systems, with some countries achieving over 70% separate collection rates in pilot regions.
• Composting and digestion now account for a growing share of bio-waste treatment. Some leading countries (e.g., Austria, Germany) compost or anaerobically digest 60–80% of collected bio-waste.

EU Policy and Legislative Framework

• Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC): Requires substantial diversion of bio-waste from landfills.
• Revised Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC): Sets general waste management requirements, introduces bio-waste recycling targets, and creates possibilities for end-of-waste criteria for compost.
• Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU: Regulate large-scale bio-waste treatment facilities (over 50 tonnes/day).
• Waste Incineration Directive & Animal By-Products Regulation: Address incineration practices and health rules for composting/biogas plants treating animal by-products: Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) and Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal by-products Regulation) and 

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Preferred Treatment Options

Although landfilling is recognized as the worst option for bio-waste, incineration and landfilling are still often chosen for cost and convenience. Environmentally beneficial alternatives include composting and anaerobic digestion, which yield valuable compost, digestate, and biogas.

EU Commission Initiatives

• ​Green Paper on Bio-waste Management (2008): Initiated dialogue on optimal management strategies: 
  • Green Paper on the Management of Bio-waste in the EU
  • Working Document accompanying the Green Paper 
  • Summary of comments received to the Green Paper
• Impact Assessment: Analyzed policy options, including setting compost standards, introducing recycling targets, and mandating separate collection.
• Communication COM(2010)235: Presented the Commission’s views on improving bio-waste management, calling for further actions and exploring bio-waste recycling targets.
• Waste Framework Directive Revision (2014): Proposed higher recycling targets, phase-out of landfilling for recyclable waste (including bio-waste), measures to reduce food waste, and mandatory separate collection of bio-waste.   The Commission withdrew its proposal on 2015.

Research and Guidance

• The European Commission supports studies on biodegradability, compost quality, and life cycle assessments (LCA).
• Guidelines on applying LCA to bio-waste management (available through the JRC) help policymakers choose sustainable treatment methods suited to local conditions.

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