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Author: Izabela Potapowicz

The report ‘How to best collect bio-waste. Guidance for municipalities on the best performing methods to separately collect bio-waste’

Written by Izabela Potapowicz on . Posted in News.

The EU’s Waste Framework Directive requires all Member States to collect bio-waste separately from 1st January 2024 onwards. There is an urgent need to implement bio-waste collection systems across the EU, which could bring many economic, environmental and social benefits. With a required target of recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035, EU member states know that they will only achieve this goal with an efficient collection system in place for bio-waste. Therefore, Member States must prioritise high-performing bio-waste collection models to achieve recycling targets.

The report ‘How to best collect bio-waste. Guidance for municipalities on the best performing methods to separately collect bio-waste’, developed by Zero Waste Europe, presents data on the performance of different collection systems for bio-waste from various European regions and municipalities. The analyses prove that door-to-door collection models for bio-waste provide the best results for the quantity and quality of material collected and are also the most efficient. The guidance document details also the key performance indicators for such systems and policy recommendations for municipalities seeking to implement such collection systems in their communities.

https://zerowastecities.eu/tools/how-to-best-collect-bio-waste/

Workshop and study visit

Written by Izabela Potapowicz on . Posted in News.

From November 20th to 22nd, 2023, as part of the project “Green Transformation in Practice: Demonstrating and Disseminating the Benefits of Biogas Production from Bio-waste,” jointly implemented by the Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute (IOŚ-PIB) and Vista Analyse, the workshop focusing on the management of bio-waste and the utilisation of biogas as a source of energy was organised. The workshop was combined with a study visit to a biogas plant operating at the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Tychy.

During the first day of the workshop, participants familiarised themselves with the issues of bio-waste management and biogas production from biomass and bio-waste. Invited experts gave presentations on national agricultural biogas production, barriers limiting the development of the biogas and biomethane market in Poland, and the benefits for local governments and farmers from investing in biogas and biomethane production. A representative of IOŚ-PIB gave a presentation on demonstrating the potential of biomass and bio-waste in cities and municipalities belonging to the Tomaszów Mazowiecki – Opoczno Functional Urban Area. A representative of the City Council in Tomaszów Mazowiecki presented the results of bio-waste collection and the challenges the City faces. A representative of Vista Analyse presented the scope of the pre-feasibility study, which is one of the planned outcomes of the project. The following discussion explored the possibilities of implementing biogas production solutions in the Tomaszów Mazowiecki – Opoczno Functional Urban Area.

On the second day, a study visit took place, during which participants visited the biogas plant at the Tychy wastewater treatment plant, which has been operating for years. Zbigniew Gieleciak, the President of the Management Board of the Regional Water and Sewage Management Center, talked about the innovative solutions implemented during the expansion of the installation and shared the plans for future research and investments. The presented biogas plant is a model example of using sewage sludge and biodegradable waste to produce green energy and cogeneration.

On the final day, representatives of IOŚ-PIB and Vista Analyse, at a meeting held at the IOŚ-PIB premises, summarised the project’s results and discussed the schedule for further work.

Presentations from the meeting: