The condition in Greece and the incommon action forward
Biowaste constitutes a stream of great importance within the framework of EU circular, green and waste management policies; the reason lies in the fact that proper biowaste management is inextricably linked to various EU legislative provisions and targets related to environmental protection and sustainable development, due to the stream’s large produced quantities and special qualitative characteristics. Specifically, across the European Union, approximately 50% of the municipal solid waste produced is biowaste, highlighting the crucial role of separate biowaste collection and treatment in reducing the amount of municipal solid waste that ends up in landfills, as well as increasing reuse and recycling rates. Moreover, biowaste contains high energy potential, nutrients and other valuable compounds. Thus, biowaste valorisation is essential for a wide range of circular economy and bioeconomy applications, including:
- Compost production, which tackles soil organic matter loss and improves soil health and land productivity.
- Bioenergy production, which helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels and transition to cleaner forms of energy.
- Bio-based products, such as packaging, textiles, chemicals, etc., replacing fossil-intensive products.
Furthermore, biowaste valorisation reduces the amount of landfilled biowaste quantities, which is the main contributor to GHG emissions and leachate production.
Greece, aiming to comply with the EU waste management regulations, has incorporated the relevant provisions into national legislation. According to the National Waste Management Plan (NWMP), Greece is committed to achieving the following targets:
- Landfilling no more than 10% of municipal waste by 2035.
- Preparation for reuse and recycling at 60% by 2030.
- Separate collection of biowaste by the end of 2022.
In this context, a thorough plan has been developed, defining responsible entities, infrastructure, targets, and timelines for an integrated biowaste management system. This plan includes the establishment of a broad “brown bin” network for the separation of biowaste at the source. However, Greece has historically faced significant challenges in enforcing national waste management laws and is already falling behind the NWMP timeline. Although progress has been made in developing the “brown bin” network over the past few years, the target of having a national separate biowaste collection system by 2022 has not been achieved. Additionally, important delays in the construction of treatment facilities have been observed, and comprehensive information regarding the current status across the country is lacking.
Recognising the untapped potential of biowaste valorisation and considering the social, economic, and environmental challenges associated with the ineffective management of this waste stream, incommon is taking multilevel action to promote and support the separate collection of biowaste and the utilization of biowaste treatment products. The initiative focuses on a wide range of aspects, including:
- Raising awareness among different parties (citizens, businesses, schools, local authorities, etc.) regarding the importance of proper biowaste management.
- Building capacity and providing practical tools and methods for the proper use of brown bins, composting techniques, and waste minimization, such as educational materials for schools, business guidelines, composting bins, etc.
- Empowering open dialogue and promoting synergies among involved parties.
Several projects have been implemented by incommon to achieve the aforementioned objectives, showcasing good practices that inspire change among local communities toward more effective biowaste management. Especially when applied in decentralised and rural regions, separate biowaste collection and valorisation into compost, biogas, or other added-value products can contribute to local circular bioeconomy initiatives and benefit bio-based endeavors; the case of a local kindergarten in a rural Greek city (Karditsa) that is heated with pellet coming up from organic waste is exemplary. Thus, more actions are needed to establish an effective biowaste management system in Greece.
