According to the survey (ECN Status report 2019), in total 47.5 million tonnes of bio-waste is treated in 4274 plants. The predominant treatment process for bio-waste is composting:
- More than 3.400 composting plants treats 30.5 million tonnes of bio-waste,
- 12,4 million tonnes of bio-waste are anaerobically digested, and
- 4,4 million tonnes of bio-waste are treated in combined composting and AD plants.
Besides Denmark and Sweden, in all countries composting is the main treatment process for bio-waste. In Italy, anaerobic digestion of bio-waste is always combined with a post-composting step.
Bio-Waste Treated per Capita
Relating the annual amount of bio-waste to the population in each country, Slovenia, with 320 kg bio-waste treated per capita, is surprisingly the leading country in bio-management in Europe, followed by the Netherlands with 223 kg, Belgium with 201 kg, and Sweden with 193 kg of biowaste per capita.
- Germany, Austria, Denmark, UK, Lithuania and Italy are treating more between 107 and 173 kg of bio-waste per capita.
- Finland, Ireland, France and Norway are treating between 64 and 80 kg bio-waste per capita.
- Finally, Hungary, Poland, Estonia and Portugal are treating between 11 and 24 kg of bio-waste per capita.
