Biodegradable Municipal Waste Management in Europe

Gerry Carty

The Parliamentary Sustainable Waste Group and Environmental Services Association 28th January 2003

Terrace Marquee, House of Commons, Westminster

OBJECTIVE OF THE REPORT

• to provide Europe-wide information on the current status of biodegradable municipal waste management and the various options available to reduce quantities going to landfill.

APPROACH

• information gathered and reported on:

– BMW production and management in EEA member countries;

– strategies and instruments used to encourage the diversion of BMW away from landfill;

– options available for diverting BMW away from landfill;

– market and outlet issues.

Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW)

• what is it?

• how much is generated in the European Community?

• what happens to it?

• how do different countries manage it?

• what are the implications of the Landfill Directive for it?

• what steps are needed to maximise diversion of BMW away from landfill and its subsequent recovery?

BMW - What is it?

KITCHEN/FOOD WASTE, GARDEN WASTE,

PAPER & CARDBOARD,

wood, textiles, biodegradable plastics

BIODEGRADABLE FRACTION OF MIXED/BAGGED WASTE

+

SEPARATELY COLLECTED BMW

+

BULKY BMW

Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW)How much is produced?

MEAN PER CAPITA PRODUCTION

0.30 +/- 0.06 tonnes/annum

POPULATION (EU15)

375,346,000

ESTIMATED TOTAL PRODUCTION (EU15)

113,000,000 tonnes

[90,000,000 - 135,000,000 TONNES]

Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW)What happens to it?

Incineration (ER)17%

Incineration (NoER)2%

Composting11%

Other Recovery0%

Recycling11%

Unspecified4%

Landfill54%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Belg

ium

(Fla

nd

ers

)

Au

str

ia

Th

e N

eth

erl

an

ds

Den

mark

Bad

en

-Wⁿr

ttem

bu

rg

Norw

ay

Fin

lan

d

UK

(E

ng

lan

d &

Wale

s)

Fra

nce

Italy

Irela

nd

Cata

lon

ia

Separately Collected

Bagged Waste

Collection Practice in Countries and Regions Surveyed

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Den

mar

k

Net

herl

ands

Bel

gium

Aus

tria

Bad

en-W

ⁿrtt

embu

rg

Fran

ce

Nor

way

Finl

and

Ital

y

Cat

alon

ia

UK

(Eng

land

& W

ales

)

Irel

and

Unspecified

Mechanical-Biological Pre-Treatment

Anaerobic Digestion

Recycling

Central Composting

Incineration without EnergyRecovery

Incineration with EnergyRecovery

Landfill

Management of BMW in Countries and Regions Surveyed

BMW: What happens to it?LANDFILL

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Irelan

d

UK (Eng

land

& Wale

s)

Catalo

nia Italy

Finlan

d

Norway

Franc

e

Baden

-Wür

ttem

burg

Austri

a

Belgium

(Flan

ders

)

The N

ethe

rland

s

Denm

ark

%

BMW: What happens to it?INCINERATION

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

%

BMW: What happens to it?COMPOSTING

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Belgium

(Flan

ders

)

The N

ethe

rland

s

Denm

ark

Austri

a

Baden

-Wür

ttem

burg

Italy

Franc

e

Finlan

d

Norway

UK (Eng

land

& Wale

s)

Irelan

d

Catalo

nia

%

BMW: What happens to it?MATERIAL RECYCLING

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Baden

-Wür

ttem

burg

Austri

a

Belgium

(Flan

ders

)

Finlan

d

Norway

The N

ethe

rland

s

Denm

ark

Irelan

dIta

ly

UK (Eng

land

& Wale

s)

Catalo

nia

Franc

e

%

Separate Collection and Diversion from Landfill

GENERAL FINDING

COUNTRIES WITH HIGH LEVELS OF DIVERSION AWAY FROM LANDFILL HAVE HIGH RATES OF SEPARATE COLLECTION

05

101520253035404550556065707580859095

100

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

20

17

20

18

Year

% o

f B

MW

Pro

du

ce

d i

n 1

99

5

Th

at

Ca

n b

e C

on

sig

ne

d t

o L

an

dfi

ll

Target 1 - 2006/2010

Target 2 - 2009/2013

Target 3 - 2016/2020

LANDFILL DIRECTIVE TARGETS FOR BMW

BASELINE - BMW PRODUCED IN 1995

LANDFILL DIRECTIVE TARGETSCURRENT QUANTITIES LANDFILLED

• 0 - 35% Denmark, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders)

• 35 - 75% France, Finland, Norway, Germany, Italy

• > 75% Spain, UK, Ireland, Greece, Portugal

NETHERLANDS

Future Scenarios

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

20

17

20

18

Year

BM

W (

Mil

lio

n T

on

ne

s)

Landfill DirectiveTargets

Scenario 1 (1%growth)

Scenario 2 (2%growth)

Scenario 3 (3%growth)

Scenario 4 (GDP)

Scenario 5 (PrivateConsumption)

NETHERLANDS

Treatment Routes

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

% o

f each

Ma

na

gem

en

t R

ou

te

1995 1998

Landfill

Incineration withEnergy Recovery

Composting

Recycling

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

% of each Management Route

1996 1998

Landfill

Incinerationwith EnergyRecovery

Composting

Recycling

Existing Management of BMW in England and Wales

Future Projections

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

112

01

22

01

32

01

42

01

52

01

62

01

72

01

82

01

92

02

02

02

12

02

2

Year

BM

W (

Mil

lio

n T

on

ne

s)

Landfill Directive Targets

Landfill Directive Targets(4 Year extension)

Scenario 1 (1% growth)

Scenario 2 (3% growth)

Scenario 3 (GDP)

Scenario 4 (PrivateConsumption)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Denm

ark

9520

00

Nethe

rland

96

2000

Sweden

200

0

Austri

a 95

1999

Belgium

95

1999

Luxe

mbu

rg 9

519

99

Franc

e 95

2000

Norway

95

2000

Germ

any

9619

98

Spain

2000

United

King

dom

95

1999

%

Recovery Disposal

Figure 7. 7 Municipal waste management in selected countriesof Western Europe, CEEC 1995 and latest year available

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40%

of

ea

ch

Ma

na

ge

me

nt

Ro

ute

1995 1998

Landfill

Incinerationwith EnergyRecovery

Composting

Recycling

Reuse

BELGIUM (Flemish Region) Treatment Routes

BELGIUM (Flemish Region) Future Scenarios

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3

3.2

3.4

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Year

BM

W (

Mil

lio

n T

on

nes)

Landfill DirectiveTargets

Scenario 1 (1%growth)

Scenario 2 (2%growth)

Scenario 3 (3%growth)

Scenario 4 (GDP)

Scenario 5 (PrivateConsumption)

IRELAND

Treatment Routes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% o

f e

ac

h M

an

ag

em

en

t R

ou

te

1995 1998

Landfill

Recycling

Composting

IRELAND

Future Scenarios

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.21

99

51

99

61

99

71

99

81

99

92

00

02

00

12

00

22

00

32

00

42

00

52

00

62

00

72

00

82

00

92

01

02

01

12

01

22

01

32

01

42

01

52

01

62

01

72

01

82

01

92

02

02

02

12

02

2

Year

BM

W (

Milli

on

To

nn

es)

Landfill Directive Targets

Landfill Directive Targets(4 Year extension)

Scenario 1 (1% growth)

Scenario 2 (2% growth)

Scenario 3 (3% growth)

Scenario 4 (GDP)

Scenario 5 (PrivateConsumption)

Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW)Maximising diversion from landfill

Phase 1 - Production

Phase 2 - Presentation, Collection and Transfer

Phase 3 - Treatment

Phase 4 - Final Destination (Disposal or Beneficial Use)

Typical Strategies and Instruments Used

INSTRUMENT/PHASE

PHASE 1

PRODUCTION

PHASE 2

PRESENTATION,COLLECTION,TRANSFER &TREATMENT

PHASE 3

TREATMENT

PHASE 4

FINALDESTINATION(DISPOSAL OR

BENEFICIALUSE)

WASTE PREVENTION ANDMINIMISATION

“GREENER” SHOPPING

HOME COMPOSTING

PUBLIC EDUCATION

FISCAL MEASURES

PRODUCERRESPONSIBILITYINITIATIVES AND

USE OF PRESENTATIONBY-LAWS

REQUIREMENT FORSEPARATE COLLECTION

SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIESINCINERATED

BAN ON LANDFILLING OFBMW

BAN ON LANDFILLING OFSPECIFIC BMW FRACTIONS

WASTE TAXES

IDENTIFICATION ANDDEVELOPMENT OF ENDMARKETS

NETHERLANDSKey Diversion Strategies

• High level of separate collection• Ban on landfilling of organic wastes• Landfill and incineration taxes to encourage

diversion to recycling and composting• Waste prevention and minimisation policies• Producer responsibility initiatives for paper sector• Public education

FLANDERSKey Diversion Strategies

• Ban on landfilling of certain separately collected waste streams• Ban on incineration of certain separately collected waste streams• Taxes on landfilling and incineration• Higher collection charges for mixed waste than separately

collected waste• Maximising separate collection and treatment of ‘green’ waste

and VFG waste• Encouraging home composting• Development of central composting capacity• Public education

Conclusions• To achieve the following objectives

– high rates of diversion of BMW away from landfill– high rates of material recovery (material recycling, composting etc.) of BMW

diverted away from landfill

• Actions required– an integrated package of measures from production to final destination– public education programmes– high levels of separate collection– financial instruments to encourage separate collection, discourage landfilling and

encourage recovery– adequate infrastructure for treating wastes collected (eg: organic wastes and

paper wastes)– adequate and reliable outlets for materials diverted from landfill and products

such as compost made from these materials.