Position paper: Municipal Waste Europe comments BIOLOGICAL WASTE TREATMENT OPERATIONS with special attention to Green Paper on the management of bio-waste in the European Union (COM (2008) 811, 13 February 2009
Short summary:
The Bio-waste definition in the Waste Framework Directive (art 3.4) does not include other biological wastes from agriculture industries, green waste, manure, and sewage sludge. According to Municipal Waste Europe, all legislative discussions on bio-waste and biological treatment operations should include also these kind of biological wastes and take into proper account the future development of end-of-waste criteria for compost, the animal by-product regulation and the revision of BREF waste treatment.
Municipal Waste Europe believes that there is never only one suitable waste management system. The waste management plan is an essential tool to chose the most suitable waste management treatment through and assessment of local conditions.
Municipal Waste Europe highlights that bio-waste prevention actions should include promotion of high quality home composting, campaigns to prevent food waste as well as planning sales transport and social food programmes for restaurants, food stores and food industries.
Municipal Waste Europe stresses that the total amount of biodegradable waste to landfills needs to be restricted and recycling of bio-waste promoted.
As regards energy recovery from bio-waste, it can be a small but valuable contribution to renewable energy targets if and where there is a market for it.
Read the position paper here