Managing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

The European Commission (EC) has issued several directives, guidelines and strategies associated with biological wastes that are significantly altering the solid waste management landscape of some member countries in the European Union (EU). The Landfill Directive and the Biowaste Directive as well as the Soil Protection Strategy have had a substantial effect on the quantities and methods of managing organic residues. To comply with these directives, EU Member States focused on several trends including composting, anaerobic digestion and mechanical-biological treatment systems