Bio-waste Archives - Zero Waste Europe

Extended Producer Responsibility for food products – policy recommendations

To address the European Union’s critical challenges in food waste prevention and management, Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) proposes introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for food products (EPRFP) in the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act. This measure could partially shift financial responsibility from public authorities and taxpayers to food producers and retailers, who have significant influence over consumer behaviour and waste generation patterns.

ZWE’s policy recommendations on EPRFP follow the findings and learnings of ”The case for Extended Producer Responsibility for food products” study, co-authored with the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC).

Available in English.

The case for Extended Producer Responsibility for food products

The European Union faces a critical resource efficiency challenge: food waste represents 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions while EU citizens generate 129kg of food waste per year.

Despite the 2024 EU mandate requiring separate collection of bio-waste, only 26% of kitchen waste is successfully captured, with current food waste collection at just 15.1 million tonnes annually. This number is far below the theoretical potential of 60 million tonnes.

Could Extended Producer Responsibility for Food Products (EPRFP) be a solution?

This study by the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and Zero Waste Europe analyses how implementing EPRFP could address food waste prevention and collection challenges. Unlike traditional waste management funding for bio-waste, which relies entirely on public authorities and taxpayers, EPRFP would shift partial financial and operational responsibility to actors who can significantly influence consumer behaviour and waste generation patterns.

Full study available in English.

Executive Summary available in German.

#ForkToFarm factsheets: 2 years of local action on bio-waste separation and composting

After two years of hands-on work through the Fork to Farm project, where seven of our members partnered with local communities and municipalities to strengthen bio-waste separation and boost community composting efforts, we’ve gained valuable insight into what truly drives local change.

With the 1 January anniversary of mandatory bio-waste separate collection just around the corner, we’re excited to share these new factsheets that highlight how dedicated collaboration on the ground can deliver real, measurable results.

Discover inspiring progress from Bulgaria, France, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Ukraine, each showing what’s possible when communities get involved and systems are put in place.

Fighting climate change, one bio-waste bin at a time – how the #ForkToFarm project supports Montenegro’s environmental transition

In this interactive case study, we try to bring to life the work led by our member Zero Waste Montenegro during the #ForkToFarm project between 2024-25.

Montenegro continues to face significant pressure when it comes to its waste management, with organic waste central to this challenge as it represents around 40% of Montenegro’s waste stream. Most municipalities lack operational capacity and sufficient infrastructure for proper organic waste management. But this challenge is also an opportunity, given the speed at which decentralised, community-driven solutions can be implemented at a low cost to local authorities.

This case study combines data and qualitative analysis with visual footage and content of the work done by Zero Waste Montenegro over the last 2 years to improve the amount of organic waste which is composted rather than landfilled in its partner communities, which includes the capital city, Podgorica. It showcases the first working examples of decentralised organic waste solutions and their successful impact, with videos and interviews with the leaders behind these progressive policies.

See the interactive version of the case study

(You can download the case study below in a ‘standard’ layout as well as in a PDF version of the interactive layout).

Case study available in English, Montenegrin, and French.

Layman’s report

The Layman’s Report provides a visual summary of the LIFE BIOBEST project’s objectives, activities and results alongside photos, infographics and outputs for continued use in the project’s afterlife.

Available in English.

Communication and dissemination final report

D6.4 Communication and dissemination final report provides a review and an evaluation of the communication efforts of the LIFE BIOBEST project from M1 to M30, including timelines over all communication activities undertaken during the project and an overview of all communication and dissemination results.

Annex: Layman’s Report provides a visual summary of the project’s objectives, activities and results alongside photos, infographics and outputs for continued use in the project’s afterlife.

Available in English.

Exploitation and Sustainability Strategy

The LIFE BIOBEST D7.3 Exploitation and sustainability strategy defines the afterlife activities (translation, promotion, elaboration, etc.) that will continue in terms of exploitable results and exploitation route after the closure of LIFE BIOBEST. Alongside D7.2 Transferability and replicability strategy, these reports include actions to promote and achieve the adoption of proposed solutions, strategies and usage of the tools created in the framework of the project.

Available in English.

Transferability and Replicability Strategy

The LIFE BIOBEST D7.2 Transferability and replicability strategy gathers the dissemination strategy, the instruments used and the actions carried out by the project from M1 to M26, as well as the results obtained in terms of quantitative impacts.

Available in English.

Statistical analysis

This LIFE BIOBEST study focuses on analysing the factors that influence the collection per capita of kitchen waste and bio-waste based on data from municipalities in Catalonia and Italy between 2010 and 2021. These are the only areas in the EU in which open data is available at the municipal level and differentiated between kitchen waste and garden waste. A regression analysis, a statistical technique used to estimate the impact of various waste management variables, as well as socio-economic and demographic variables (independent or explanatory variables), on the kitchen waste and bio-waste collection per capita (dependent or explanatory variables), has been conducted.

Available in English.

Decision Support Trees

D5.1 Decision support trees function as a tool for municipalities and regional authorities to evaluate their specific difficulties and context. Following a preliminary self-assessment, the decision support trees disaggregate barriers that inhibit bio-waste implementation, pairing them with resources and recommendations from LIFE BIOBEST outputs.

Annex: Decision Support Tree Tool integrates the self-assessment checklists, including a scoring feature, and decision support trees into excel format with interactive navigation. Based on the responses, the Excel form directs the user from the assessment to the barriers and, finally, to LIFE BIOBEST recommendations.

Available in English.

Waste management and the circular economy in central and eastern Europe: An analysis of EU cohesion policy funding

This report, produced by Bankwatch in collaboration with Za Zemiata and Zelena Akcija, assesses the impact of cohesion policy funding on the capacity and progress of selected central and eastern European countries in building efficient waste management systems that will enable transitioning to circular economy in accordance with the EU’s new Circular Economy Action Plan.

In the first part of the analysis, the report focuses on spending allocation in the previous (2014–2020) and current (2021–2027) cohesion policy funding periods. In the second part, it assesses the effectiveness of the 2014–2020 cycle spending by analysing available country-level outputs.

Available in English and German.

Circular Economy Act policy recommendations

The European Union stands at a critical juncture. With six planetary boundaries already breached and a rapidly shifting global economy, the Circular Economy Act (CEA) should serve as a guiding compass to drive how we consume and produce differently, how we empower communities, and build resilient economies through job creation in circular sectors. It must promote value preservation and ensure the strategic use of our resources, while ensuring a safe and toxic-free transition for workers, SMEs, and citizens.

Ahead of the European Commission’s publication of the Clean Industrial Deal (CID), Zero Waste Europe presents its position paper laying out the vision for the CEA: more than a technical fix to the waste crisis, it should serve as a guiding compass within a broader industrial strategy.

Available in English.

Executive summary available in English, Portuguese, Croatian, German, and Greek.

Comprehensive Guidance for effective bio-waste management in the EU

The LIFE BIOBEST Comprehensive Guidance presents key policy recommendations to strengthen the EU legal framework for bio-waste management. Drawing from extensive research and stakeholder consultation, this document outlines three interconnected areas for improvement: boosting effective models for separate collection and recycling, promoting reliable markets for compost and digestate, and enhancing monitoring and enforcement of bio-waste regulations.

The guidance provides concrete policy measures to help close the gap between current practices and potential capture rates, addressing the fact that only 26% of kitchen waste is currently collected separately in the EU. It proposes specific legally binding targets, economic instruments, and monitoring requirements to support the EU’s transition toward more efficient bio-waste management and healthier soils.

Validated by 21 stakeholders representing 13 entities from across Europe, this document serves as a roadmap for EU policymakers working to improve bio-waste management.

A summary video presenting the key recommendations is available with subtitles in 11 EU languages.

Full report available in English.

Executive summary available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Greek, Croatian, Estonian, and Polish.

LIFE BIOBEST – Decision Support Web Tool

LIFE BIOBEST D7.1 Decision Support Web Tool (DSWT) assesses the performance of bio-waste management options in a specific area by using a set of indicators to evaluate three pillars of sustainability (environment, economy and social aspects).

The DSWT considers the impacts associated with all stages of the bio-waste management system, (i.e. bio-waste generation, source separation, collection from generation sources to the first waste facility, pre-treatment, treatment, final disposal, biobased products use as well as transportation between the different waste facilities). It accounts for the impacts related to emissions and resources consumed (e.g. electricity, fuel, machinery) within the bio-waste management system as well as the avoided productions of the goods (material and energy) substituted by the outputs generated from the bio-waste management system (i.e. bio-based products and energy), such as mineral fertilisers. The DSWT also considers the management of the micro- and macro-impurities that are thrown away together with the source separated bio-waste due to sorting errors.

The tool calculates and displays two types of results for each scenario: 1) The Mass Flow of the Scenario, which refers to the amounts of bio-waste, nutrients and macro-impurities that flow between the different bio-waste management stages. 2) The Assessment Results of the Scenario, which shows the values of the assessment criteria for the specific area to study and scenario, including: i) Climate Change, ii) Economic Cost, iii) Local Labour, iv) Space Requirement, v) Sorting Time, vi) Energy (thermal and electric) Recovery Indexes and vii) Transportation Intensity Indexes.

DSWT is meant to provide a first assessment of the scenarios modelled based on the data available in the DSWT and data introduced by the user. The target users of the tool are authorities, consulting firms and waste operators that can use the tool to simulate different bio-waste management scenarios and compare them. The results of its assessment can help identify the critical points of the current (or planned) bio-waste management system.

The DSWT is an upgraded version of the H2020 DECISIVE DSWT. Since LIFE BIOBEST leader, ENT, was the main developer of the H2020 DECISIVE DST (www.decisive2020.eu), the know-how accumulated during the development of the former tool was easily and efficiently used to build an updated version.

You can access the web tool here. The manual is available on the webpage after registering as a user.

Case studies available in English.

Summary of Guidelines

The Guidelines summary consolidates the key takeaways from LIFE BIOBEST guidelines on bio-waste separate collection, governance and economic incentives, compost and digestate, and communication and engagement practices. The aim is to support upper-level authorities in streamlining policy measures and lower-level authorities in implementing effective solutions.

Available in English, Italian, and Spanish.

Proposal for quality standards for bio-waste entering biological recycling facilities

The quality of bio-waste impacts the production of compost and digestate. LIFE BIOBEST‘s Deliverable 5.3 aims to establish unified quality standards for bio-waste entering the recycling process in the European Union Member States in alignment with the Waste Framework Directive.

The document draws conclusions from the various approaches currently adopted by EU MS, including methodologies for the analysis of bio-waste composition as well as the definition of control or limit values for impurities. Furthermore, consultation with experts in bio-waste management helped shape the recommendations.

Available in English.

Assessment matrix of best practices

LIFE BIOBEST‘s Deliverable 2.3 evaluates contextual factors that affect bio-waste management. The assessment matrix consolidates various contextual factors, providing in-depth descriptions of each. The factors are then placed alongside recommendations and six theoretical scenarios, which stakeholders can use to compare to their own context.

Available in English.

Bio-waste generation in the EU: Current capture levels and future potential – Second edition

This second joint report by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) provides crucial insights into the current and future availability of bio-waste across the EU27, the UK, and Norway. Released at a critical moment—nearing the one-year anniversary of the introduction of mandatory bio-waste collection in all EU Member States—the study reveals that only 26% of theoretical food waste potential is currently captured through the separate collection, highlighting a significant untapped potential.

Building on our first edition from 2020, this comprehensive analysis includes updated survey findings, country-specific fact sheets, and strategic recommendations for policymakers and investors. The report emphasizes the urgent need to optimise collection systems and adopt legally binding targets to fully realize the potential of bio-waste.

Available in English.