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France Makes Composting of Food Waste Mandatory
16 Oct 2024Composting Food and Plant Waste Has Become Mandatory in France
As of January 1, 2025, citizens in France have become obliged to compost food and plant waste.
Municipalities are helping citizens separate biological waste such as vegetable peels and expired food, with the support of France's 2 billion euro Green Fund.
Organic waste must be collected in plastic garbage distributed by the municipality or at collection points. The compost collected by local governments will be used instead of chemical fertilizer or converted into biogas.
The fine will not be imposed until the facilities become more widespread, and it is not yet clear whether stricter rules will come in the future. Before the decision, only those who produced more than 5 tons of organic waste per year were required to separate their garbage.
One Third of Domestic Waste is Biological
Food and garden waste, which makes up approximately one-third of household waste, produces greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide when mixed with other garbage in landfills or incinerators.
According to the European Commission, food waste is responsible for around 16% of the EU's food industry's total emissions. The United Nations states that food waste and loss constitute approximately 8% of global emissions.
Organic waste can also contaminate packaging to be recycled, such as paper, plastic and glass.
According to the NGO Zero Waste Europe, only 34% of the EU's total biological waste was collected in 2018, and 40 million tonnes of potential fertilizer were thrown away unused.
An estimated 82 kilos of compost are thrown away every year per person in France.
Is it mandatory to separate biological waste in other European countries?
As of this year, the separation of biological waste in Europe is based on the EU directive, but no mandatory target has been set.
In several European countries, recycling of organic waste is within the jurisdiction of municipalities. The Italian city of Milan has been running a residential food waste collection program since 2014. At the beginning of the program, special garbage bins and compost bags were given to homes.
Programs such as banning or taxing the incineration of biological waste are being promoted in various parts of Europe. Separate bins and home composting are common in Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium.
The United Kingdom has announced plans to introduce food waste collection in 2023. Although participation is voluntary, it is widely practiced in Wales and in workplaces.
How to Separate Biological Waste?
Ideally, it is recommended that all waste, including organic materials, be kept to a minimum.
This can be achieved with careful meal planning. Consuming food before its expiration date, freezing or preserving it, and using an entire ingredient reduces waste. Some food waste can also be turned into animal feed.
Food waste that cannot be stored or reused should be composted or separated for collection.
This waste includes uneaten food, baked goods, dairy products, eggshells, fruit and vegetable peels, moldy food, pet food, raw or cooked meat and fish, bones, tea and coffee grounds.
Liquids, non-food products and packaging should not be disposed of in biological waste bins.
Source: Euronews
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