Certification for Digestate Based on Food Waste

Type de pratique Recycle, Recover

Nom de la pratique Certification for Digestate Based on Food Waste

Nom de l’acteur principal Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management

Type d’acteur(s) Autorités publiques

Pays Sweden

Etape de mise en œuvre Fin de vie

Année de mise en œuvre 2001

Opérations déjà accomplies/en cours Landfilling of organic waste has been forbidden in Sweden since 2005. In 2011, Sweden set a national target to biologically treat at least 40 percent of food waste from households, caterers, retail premises and restaurants by 2015 to provide fertilizer and energy. Another target aims at reducing food waste by at least 20 percent by 2015 compared with 2010. Collection and treatment of source-separated food waste increased by 20 percent in 2010 compared with 2009. The most common system used for source separation of food waste in single-family houses is two separate bins, one for food waste and one for combustible waste. Separated food waste that goes to digestion gives both biogas, which can be used for vehicle fuel, and digestate, which is an excellent fertilizer. Plants which produce compost or digestate from source separated bio-waste, including food waste from the food industry, can have their product quality marked with certification. The certification system was introduced ten years ago. SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden is the inspection body of this certification system. Certification places requirements on the entire waste management chain, from the incoming waste to the final product. Ten biogas plants have obtained certificates. The Swedish organic label “KRAV ” and the Swedish Seal of Quality “Svenskt Sigill Kvalitetsråd” approve digestate based on source-separated food waste, which is certified in accordance with the Swedish Waste Management’s system. Facilities that produce compost or digestate from separated bio-waste, including food waste from the food industry, can undergo certification to use quality labels on their product. Many local authorities, which have introduced voluntary collection of food waste, use the waste collection fee as a means of control. For example, households that sign up for separate collection of food waste are offered a lower fee than those that choose to continue with mixed waste collection.

Résultats et impacts An estimated 24 percent of the food waste was biologically treated in 2010 (up from 21% in 2009). Anaerobic digestion increased by 21 percent compared with 2009. 163 municipalities already have more or less implemented systems for collection of food waste: 20 of these only collect food waste from restaurants and large-scale kitchens, while the remaining municipalities have systems for households as well. An additional 70 municipalities are planning to introduce systems for source-separation of food waste. In 2009, 317,440 MWh of biogas was produced, which is equivalent to 35 million liters of petrol. In the same year, 498,720 tons of digestate was preserved, of which 97 percent was used in farming. The remaining 3 percent was either dehydrated and/or processed with after-composting. In 2009, 630,500 tons of waste was treated through composting, of which 85,620 tons was food waste. Compost is mainly used as soil improver or in soil mixes.

Documents  Certification rules for digestate from biowaste.pdf