Introducing ambitious Europe-wide targets for the separate collection of both food and garden waste could offer environmental and cost benefits worth more than €7billion (£6 billion) between 2013 and 2020, according to a report published as part of the European Commission's work on potential new EU bio-waste legislation.

The study, entitled 'Assessment of the options to improve the management of bio-waste in the EU' was published earlier this year with little fanfare by consultants ARCADIS and Eunomia, to look at the relative benefits and costs of various potential policy measures to deal with bio-degradable waste.

The report is being used to support the European Commission's work on biodegradable waste, including looking to the potential separate legislation

It emerged as the European Parliament's environment committee is set to consider a draft report this week (April 28) drawn up by one of its members that urges the European Commission to develop proposals for a specific bio-waste directive by the end of 2010.

This could provide renewed momentum for supporters of separate legislation on bio-waste, in the face of recent indications that the Commission did not wish to pursue a legislative proposal (see letsrecycle.com story).

The consultants' report concluded that, in all cases where separate targets for collecting the two waste streams were included, there would be a "significant" net benefit to society. The benefit would be increased even further if the food waste was treated using anaerobic digestion (AD), due to the reduced greenhouse gas emissions that brings, it added.

It compares the approach with a 'baseline' scenario which assumes EU member states meet the targets for diverting waste from landfill set by the EU Landfill Directive, including a "minimum quantity" of treatment of bio-waste to reach this goal.

The targets outlined in the report as a "high ambition" scenario are 60% for food waste and 90% for green waste to be reached by 2020, with all garden waste above a 2006 baseline level being treated using in-vessel composting and food waste being sent for either IVC or AD.

The report also claimed that there were longer term benefits from providing additional treatment of bio-waste, explaining that: "The additional treatment of source separated bio-waste develops a significant annual benefit to society from 2020 onwards.

"This is of great importance since, given that nearly 40% of the total benefit occurs in 2020, the continued benefits, beyond the period modelled in this study, will remain significant," it added.

The report is intended to support the Commission's continuing work on potentially developing a separate legislative proposal for bio-waste, such as a possible 'Bio-waste Directive'.

A green paper looking at future options for managing bio-waste in the European Union was published by the Commission in December 2008, raising hopes that a separate legislative proposal could be brought forward (see letsrecycle.com story).

Momentum appeared to build for a separate proposal last year, when European environment ministers endorsed the Commission's plans to run an impact assessment on bio-waste legislation and, "if appropriate", prepare a legislative proposal this year (see letsrecycle.com story).

European Parliament

And, in the draft report drawn up by European Parliament environment committee member Jose Manuel Fernandes, for consideration at this week's meeting, he claims that the Landfill Directive and Waste Framework Directive have not done enough to divert bio-waste from landfill and to ensure sufficient separate collection of biowaste to be treated using AD or IVC.

"Given the poor implementation of the goal of diversion of bio-waste from landfills by Member States, it is clear that additional measures need to be introduced to complement the Landfill Directive," the report states.

Outlining the reasons for supporting a separate Biowaste Directive, it explains: "A specific directive for bio-waste management would be a key pillar for the implementation of the principles arising from the Waste Framework Directive and other directives relating to waste management in general.

"Moreover, compiling all the various rules on the management of bio-waste in a single piece of legislation would in itself be an exercise in legislative excellence and better lawmaking.

"A specific directive for bio-waste management would offer greater clarity, simplification and legal certainty in this area, thus guaranteeing the long-term confidence of public and private investors," it adds.

However, the report also notes that any Directive should allow a "degree of flexibility" to allow the best economic and environmental solution to be identified locally.

After being presented to the committee this week, Mr Fernandes' report is set to be adopted by the environment committee at its June 2 2010 meeting, before being considered by a full plenary session of the European Parliament on July 5 2010.

Green paper

Further support for a separate proposal is made clear in a document summarising responses to the Green Paper which was also posted on the Commission's website in the past few weeks.

In it, the idea of a Biowaste Directive is suggested by Austrian and Belgian composting organisations as having a role to play in further restricting the amount of biowaste sent to landfill by providing "a legal framework...relating to selective collection of bio-waste and sustainable treatment is necessary to stimulate the appropriate investment climate".

Respondents advocate "ambitious quantitative targets on selective collection of bio-waste" and the introduction of maximum percentages of bio-waste to be allowed in residual waste.

Support also comes from groups such as the UK's Association for Organics Recycling for a Directive to provide specific targets for biowaste collection and "sustainable" treatment, due to the lack of such targets in the revised Waste Framework Directive.

Elsewhere, in terms of specific waste prevention action, the responses document reveals considerable backing for awareness campaigns to reduce food waste, as well as the promotion of home composting.

However, in terms of setting targets and the approach that should be taken for dealing with bio-waste, there is particular support for decisions - to varying degrees - to be taken at a national, rather than EU level, echoing sentiments espoused in the Parliamentary report.