Biodegradable waste

Organic waste is the organic waste of animal or vegetable origin, obtained in a household or business and can be degraded by microorganisms live in the soil living organisms or enzymes. These include, for example, food scraps and grass clippings. Bio-waste is collected separately in the rule of the so-called bio-waste container and dealt with separately through composting and fermentation. The resulting compost and digestate which are often fed back into the environment, including horticulture and agriculture.

Bio-waste includes, as defined in the Waste Framework Directive garden and park waste, and food and kitchen waste ( from households, restaurants, caterers, retail and processing in the food industry). Waste from agriculture and forestry are not included. Biowaste is not to be confused with the wide range of " biodegradable waste ", which also includes other biodegradable materials such as wood, paper, cardboard and sewage sludge.

Annual fall in the European Union at 118-138 million tonnes of bio-waste, of which about 88 million tonnes come from municipal waste. By 2020, the volume is expected to increase by 10%.

Situation in Germany

From 1990 to 2004, the collection of biowaste in Germany has increased tenfold to 10 million tons / year.

However, the residual waste still contains 48% organic waste, which were supplied by the citizens not the compost bin or composting. These wastes are disposed in thermal waste incineration since 2005. There, the wet organic waste reduce the average calorific value of the waste. Contrary to popular belief, this effect is desirable for the operators because so protects the heating grates and the replacement intervals can be extended. The very high proportion of plastics in the waste (packaging, etc. ) led to an undesirable increase in calorific value, so that a " cooling " of the material to be burned is welcome. The savings on maintenance costs exceeds the loss of calorific value by far. Newer incinerators, however, are often designed for higher calorific values ​​.

Biowaste Ordinance

The resultant in the treatment of bio-waste digestate and compost must meet special hygienic requirements, which are set out for Germany since September 21, 1998 in Biowaste Ordinance.

In the Biowaste Ordinance, the term bio-waste is defined. For bio-waste includes waste animal or vegetable origin, for recovery, which can be degraded by microorganisms, soil- living organisms or enzymes. These are then concretized in Annex No. 1 of the Biowaste Ordinance closer. On the other hand do not belong to the soil organic waste materials with no significant biowaste and plant residues that are incurred on forestry or agricultural land and remain on these surfaces.

Furthermore, different treated and untreated organic waste as well as mixtures thereof, the Biowaste Ordinance. Biowaste shall be treated as if it is either an aerobic ( composting), anaerobic (fermentation ), otherwise a sanitizing treatment or a specific mixture ( mixture ) were subjected to. A mixture is when, for example, organic waste with certain organic fertilizers, soil or peat materials are mixed.

In composting inevitably arise anaerobic zones in which there is formation of greenhouse gases, mainly methane. Compost heap, Triangle Rent and other forms of composting are a serious factor in the global production of greenhouse gases.

Recovery and utilization

Since bio-waste is biomass, his large-scale energy recovery is concerned. Wet material as well as offal can be used in biogas plants, dry goods for direct combustion or process-related utilization, for example, to BtL fuel.

A course for decades, especially in the U.S. process is the crushing of domestic biowaste same in the kitchen. There, the organic waste is ground with a Küchenabfallzerkleinerer into small particles and floating away with the normal waste water. In the wastewater treatment plant along with the other wastewater biogas is produced ( sewage gas ).

In contrast, the European Parliament has called on 13 February 2007 in first reading on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive that are primarily organic waste to recycle material. Three years after the entry into force of the Directive requires Member States to develop their own systems for the separate collection of biowaste and quality assurance systems.

• Pig Food (German pig food), fund-raising in England (1943 )

Decoction of biowaste

Sorting of solid components ( such as bone )