LIFE BIOBEST

Presentation

The LIFE BIOBEST project, which guided the mainstreaming of best biowaste recycling practices in Europe, aimed to identify and validate the then-current best practices and management instruments along the bio-waste management chain that allowed the production of quality compost and digestate, and to establish a series of reference Key Performance Indicators, based on the analysis of existing databases and experiences.

Project co-financed under the LIFE Programme of the European Union, 2023 – 2025

The EU obligation for separate collection of bio-waste came into force by the end of 2023, increasing bio-waste availability for composting and anaerobic digestion. To ensure the return of nutrients embedded in bio-waste to the soil, while minimising soil contamination, an exhaustive analysis of bio-waste management schemes was required, given the large disparities in its collection and treatment practices across the EU. Taking into account the existing knowledge on bio-waste management, LIFE BIOBEST made the most of its network and their access to a large number of datasets to identify and validate Best Practices (BPs) along the bio-waste management chain (from generation to treatment) that promoted quality compost and digestate production, as well as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

An exhaustive analysis of datasets provided a set of BPs and, through a series of interconnected co-creation meetings with relevant stakeholders, the project revealed the technical, regulatory, economic, and environmental barriers to the widespread adoption of the proposed BPs. A comprehensive EU guidance document was prepared, along with two additional guides in the form of decision support trees for local and regional authorities, helping them tailor their bio-waste management systems to their specific contexts by offering feasible BPs to promote the recycling of biowaste into high-quality compost.

Following the analysis of the production of high-quality compost and digestate, a proposal for premium EU standards for bio-waste entering composting and anaerobic digestion was developed to promote certification of these materials and to ensure optimal bio-waste processing and safe return to soil. As a result of LIFE BIOBEST’s outcomes, a significant improvement in the purity of input material going into composting and digestate production was estimated, reducing sorting losses from 15% to 10% and promoting the conversion of biowaste into high-quality compost and digestate.

Activities

ACR+ was in charge of the co-creation process, which consisted in the organisation of working groups and workshops to align the work of the consortium with the needs of the end-users and to gather feedback on the project’s key outcomes. ACR+ also established and organised the Advisory Board. In addition, it contributed to the analysis of data and the drafting of guidelines for the collection and treatment of biowaste, the use of compost and digestate, and the policy framework to promote efficient biowaste management schemes.

Partners

LIFE BIOBEST´ project leader is ENT*, Fundacio ENT (ES), and its project partners were:

  • ACR+, Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management (BE)
  • CIC, CONSORZIO ITALIANO COMPOSTATORI (IT)
  • ENC, EUROPEAN COMPOST NETWORK ECN EV (DE)
  • CTA, ZERO WASTE EUROPE (NL)


*ACR+ member

Project responsible(s)