Separate bio-waste collection: a practical guide for municipalities

Bio-waste, i.e. food scraps and green waste from gardens and parks, makes up a significant share of municipal waste. When it ends up in the mixed waste bin, it raises landfill costs and a valuable resource is lost. When it is collected separately, it becomes compost for the soil.

The framework: what applies

• European waste legislation requires separate collection of bio-waste from the end of 2023, or sorting and recycling at source.
• Greek legislation (Law 4819/2021) sets a target for preparation for reuse and recycling of municipal waste of 55% by the end of 2025, 60% by 2030 and 65% by 2035.
• Landfilling of municipal waste must be limited to 10% by 2035, in line with the EU Landfill Directive.
• At the same time, the landfill levy applies to every tonne landfilled, so every tonne of bio-waste diverted is also a financial gain for the municipality.

Without bio-waste, recycling targets are practically out of reach. That is why separate collection is today the most important tool for every municipality.

Five steps to a system that works

1. Assessment

How much bio-waste is produced and where? Households, food service, street markets, hotels, parks. Composition and seasonality, especially in tourist areas, shape the design.

2. Choosing a collection system

Brown kerbside bins, door-to-door collection, dedicated routes for large producers such as restaurants and hotels, home or community composting. The best design is usually a combination of these.

3. Treatment

Every collection system needs a destination: a composting or anaerobic digestion plant, permanent or mobile. The choice depends on quantities, distances and available funding, and requires the appropriate environmental permitting.

4. Informing citizens

The most common point of failure. Without correct sorting at source, the material is “contaminated” and the compost loses its quality. You need simple messages, ongoing communication, schools and local associations, and a visible return to citizens, e.g. giving out compost.

5. Monitoring

Quantities by area, contamination rate, cost per tonne. With indicators, the system keeps improving, and the municipality documents its progress towards the targets.

Common mistakes that cost money

• Bins without communication: they fill up with the wrong materials.
• Collection without a secured treatment plant.
• The same design for winter and summer in tourist municipalities.
• No measurement: the municipality doesn’t know whether the system works.

From obligation to resource

A well-designed bio-waste system lowers landfill costs, meets recycling targets and returns nutrients to the soil. It is the circular economy in its simplest and most visible form, right in the neighbourhood.

This article is for information only. For current obligations and deadlines, refer to the legislation in force.