Related links:

Association for Organics Recycling WRAP European Compost Network

Food and green waste comes from both the household and commercial sectors and, while the majority of green waste is generated at home, more food waste comes from the commercial sector.

Organic waste makes up a significant section of the household waste stream in the UK - around 20% is green waste and 17% kitchen waste. Many councils already collect green waste at the kerbside and are increasingly looking to collect food waste either separately, or commingled with green waste.

Councils are also looking to prevent organic waste being landfilled. This is because the Landfill Directive (link) has set challenging targets regarding the landfilling of biodegradable waste which include:

• Reducing biodegradable waste to landfill by 75%, when compared to 1995 levels, by 2010
• By 2013 the biodegradable waste landfilled must be reduced to 50% of that produced in 1995
• By 2020 the biodegradable waste landfilled must be reduced to 35% of that produced in 1995

There are a number of treatment routes, other than landfill, for organic waste:

• Open windrow composting: a method by which organic waste is laid down in long rows (windrows) and turned to allow it to break down aerobically. This process is only suitable for waste which does not contain animal by-products.
• In-vessel composting: a method by which organic waste is treated in enclosed vessels which are generally made of metal or concrete and allow for air flow and temperature to be controlled. This process is suitable for waste containing animal by-products.
• Anaerobic digestion: The method by which organic waste breaks down in the absence of oxygen to produce digestate and biogas, which can used to generate energy.

Variations on these systems are also available and some people - around 38% of householders - choose to compost green and food waste at home (see our home composting page).

The end product from open windrow and IVC treatment – compost – can be used in horticulture, agriculture, land remediation and on brownfield sites. It is also expected that the output from AD will also be used for this purpose.

Open windrow, IVC and AD can also be used as part of the mechanical biological treatment process, which is the process by which recyclables are separated from waste before it is broken down biologically.

There have been a number of changes regarding the recycling of organic waste in recent years. The Waste Strategy 2007 set new recycling and composting targets for household waste, they include:

• A 40% rise in recycling and composting by 2010
• A 50% rise in recycling and composting by 2020

Composters who treat food waste which includes animal-derived products, must comply with Animal By-Product Regulations (ABPR) to ensure the safety of the compost they make. The ABPR sets out a number of rules which composters must follow in order to kill any animal pathogens which could remain in the compost and potentially spread disease. Composters must follow ABPR guidelines to make it legal for their outputs to be spread to land.