Separate bio-waste collection: what applies in 2026 in the EU and Greece
Since 1 January 2024, every EU Member State has been required to collect bio-waste separately or recycle it at source. Greece had already made this a national obligation from the end of 2022. Yet in 2026 less than a fifth of the country’s municipal waste is recycled, and the European Commission has once again referred Greece to the EU Court of Justice.
Why bio-waste is the key
Bio-waste (kitchen and food scraps, garden and park waste) is the largest fraction of municipal waste in Greece, around 37–44% by weight. As long as it ends up mixed in the general waste bin, no recycling target can be met. In landfill it produces methane and leachate, while with separate collection it becomes compost, biogas or feedstock for bio-based products.
Quality determines value. Bio-waste with more than 10% contamination (plastics, metals, glass) is hard to use and yields low-quality compost. That is why the law insists on sorting at source rather than separation later at the plant.
The European framework in six points
| Act | What it requires for bio-waste | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Directive 2018/851 (amending 2008/98/EC) | Mandatory separate collection or recycling at source | 31/12/2023 |
| Directive 2018/851 | Municipal waste recycling 55% / 60% / 65% | 2025 / 2030 / 2035 |
| Directive 2018/850 (Landfill) | Landfilling of municipal waste at most 10% | 2035 |
| Directive 2018/851, Article 11a | Bio-waste counts as recycled only if it is collected separately or recycled at source. “Compost” from mixed waste no longer counts | 1/1/2027 |
| Directive (EU) 2025/1892 | Food waste reduction: −10% in processing and manufacturing and −30% per capita in retail, food service and households, against the 2021–2023 average | 31/12/2030 (transposition by 17/6/2027) |
| Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) | Tea bags, coffee capsules, fruit stickers and very lightweight bags must be industrially compostable | Phased application |
The date of 1/1/2027 is the most critical for Greece. Many treatment plants currently produce “type A compost” from mixed waste. From 2027 this quantity will no longer count towards recycling targets. Only the brown bin and composting at source will count.
The Greek framework: Law 4819/2021
Law 4819/2021 transposed the EU directives and set its own deadlines:
- Large bio-waste producers (hotels, food service, supermarkets, street markets): mandatory separate collection from 1/1/2022, with a corresponding reduction in municipal fees.
- Municipalities: universal separate collection of bio-waste by 31/12/2022.
- Food waste: 30% reduction by 2030 compared with 2022.
- “Pay as you throw”: mandatory for municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants by 1/1/2028.
- Landfill levy: €20/tonne from 2022 and €35/tonne in 2025. From 2026 it ranges from €35 to €45/tonne, depending on the progress of infrastructure in each region. Since 2025 it has been collected through electricity bills.
Where we stand in 2026
The gap to the targets remains large. According to the European Environment Agency, Greece recycled 17% of its municipal waste in 2022 and landfilled around 80%. Composting and anaerobic digestion together accounted for just 1%. The country is at risk of missing its 2025 targets and has requested a five-year extension.
In October 2026 the Commission referred Greece to the CJEU again. The reason is that 66 of the 81 landfills inspected are not compliant. Of the 28 planned Bio-waste Treatment Plants, only 3 are in operation. The food service and tourism sector is estimated to produce around 60% of organic waste.
What it means for municipalities and businesses
- For municipalities: the cost of inaction rises every year, through the landfill levy and fines. A reliable brown-bin system with measurable data is now a financial necessity.
- For hotels and food service: the separate collection obligation already applies. Documenting quantities supports fee reductions, ESG reporting and compliance with the new food waste directive.
- For everyone: from 2027 only what is separated at source counts. The quality of the stream becomes as important as the quantity.
Need a compliance plan?
GREENWISE supports municipalities and businesses in designing separate collection systems, regulatory compliance and ESG documentation.
See also: Bio-waste guide for municipalities · Waste Management
ARTICLE SERIES
Smart bio-waste collection
- 1. What applies in 2026 in the EU and Greece (you are reading this)
- 2. The brown bin in Greece
- 3. Anatomy of a smart system
- 4. NB-IoT, LTE-M or LoRaWAN?
- 5. Routing and artificial intelligence
- 6. “Pay as you throw”
- 7. Solutions at source
Sources
- Rentzou P., Separate collection of bio-waste: innovations and IoT collection systems, experience in Greece, Master’s thesis, Hellenic Open University, 2021
- EEA, Greece municipal waste factsheet 2025
- Debevoise, Revised Waste Framework Directive enters into force (Oct. 2025)
- Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEN), Draft law on waste management (2021)
- Ethnos, New referral to the CJEU (2/10/2026)
- Powergame, Amendment on the landfill levy (9/4/2025)
- ECN, Implementing Decision 2019/1004
The series is based on P. Rentzou’s master’s thesis “Separate collection of bio-waste: innovations and IoT collection systems” (Hellenic Open University, 2021), updated with 2026 data. This article is for information only; for current obligations, refer to the legislation in force.
