Ahead of the EU bio-waste separate collection mandate in January 2024, this policy brief examines why EU waste legislation—though comprehensive in scope—is not being uniformly or effectively implemented across Member States (MS). Existing research shows that the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and Landfill Directive (LD) are not achieving their intended recycling and landfill-reduction objectives. To increase transparency around the challenges MS face, LIFE BIOBEST identifies the systemic barriers affecting bio-waste separate collection and treatment.
The report analyses the existing legal framework, including the WFD, LD, and relevant cross-cutting legislation, demonstrating that compliance with bio-waste recycling and landfill targets remains insufficient and that bio-waste management influences a wide range of sectoral policies. It also considers the European Commission’s monitoring through the Early Warning Reports and Environmental Implementation Reviews.
Drawing on interviews with more than 15 EU experts and additional information-capturing tools, LIFE BIOBEST categorises barriers by topic (legal/administrative, economic, organisational, technical), governance level (EU, national, regional, municipal), and step in the bio-waste cycle (collection, treatment, use of outputs, quality). The report maps their frequency and distribution across 14 MS to highlight constraints and bottlenecks.
Finally, section 5 provides targeted recommendations and calls to action aimed at closing the bio-waste loop and maximising the return of quality compost and digestate to soils.
Publication year: 2024
Language: EN
Published by: LIFE BIOBEST
Keywords: bio-waste management, EU waste legislation, Waste Framework Directive, Landfill Directive, systemic barriers, separate collection mandate, compliance gaps, circular economy, quality compost, policy recommendations
