European policy on biodegradable waste: a management perspective

The main characteristics of the European environmental policy are reviewed. Focusing on EU policy on waste, the paper presents the principles on which EU waste management is founded, particularly the waste hierarchy. In this hierarchy, priority shall be given to prevention of the generation of wastes and of its hazardousness. Secondly, the reuse and the recovery of materials (recycling), which implies the separation of waste at source involving consumers in the scheme of waste management. Priority should be given to material recycling over energy recovery. The less desirable option is the disposal of waste. The paper reviews specific directives on organic waste management, following the scheme of the waste hierarchy, together with the general trends observed in producing common regulations for all types of organic residuals. Afterwards, key issues and measures for the implementation of a feasible strategy for organic residuals management, e.g. quality requirements and quality assurance, are discussed. Finally, there is a view from a manager's perspective on the current EU policy, public acceptance and suitable waste management operations.