The Estonian Presidency is working with pressure to finalise the trilogue negotiations with a compromise proposal on the waste legislative proposals of the Circular Economy Package until the end of this year. Following the interinstitutional negotiations on the Waste Framework Directive, the European Compost Network (ECN) is aware that specific articles of great importance to bio-waste are currently under discussion.

In general, ECN stressed the need for an ambitious compromise text to ensure that Europe can reap the full benefit of a more circular economy. For us, this includes a clear commitment towards the separate collection and high-quality recycling of bio-waste. This will also enable increased recycling of dry residues.

ECN, the leading European membership organisation promoting sustainable recycling practices by composting and anaerobic digestion of organic resources, has shared ahead of the final trilogue discussion ECN’s recommendations with regards to these articles.

Please find the recommendations here.

Fertilising Product Regulation
ECN recommendations ahead of the trilogue negotiations

Following the European Parliament’s 24/10 vote on the CE marked fertilising products proposal and with regard to the starting interinstitutional negotiations on this file, the European Compost Network (ECN) has published an updated position paper with specific recommendations on several elements of the proposal which are still incompatible with the overall objective to increase the use of recycled nutrients.

While ECN appreciates the extensive discussions that have already taken place on this file in the EP and the Council, the following elements are of grave conflict with the objective to promote safe and innovative organic fertilisers produced form recycled bio-waste and other secondary raw materials:

• The unjustified widening of most CMCs (Component Material Categories) CMC 2, 4, 6 for bio-waste input materials to CMCs without guaranteeing sufficient treatment, process control and conformity assessment compared to requirements set for compost (CMC 3) and digestate (CMC 5) with bio-waste input materials as defined in Directive 2008/98.
• The missing adaption of  more flexible proposed temperature/time profiles for hygienisation for bio-waste within composting (CMC 3) and fermentation (CMC 5) other than those proposed by EU COM.
• The pathogen control with limit values for “Escherichia coli/ and Enterococcaceae” for organic fertilizer, organic soil improver and growing media. 

If these will be adopted as such, the proposal would significantly obstruct the use of bio-waste materials including garden and park waste for CE marked fertilising products, and thus would go against the overall Circular Economy goals.

ECN therefore calls upon the negotiation partners to consider making the necessary changes to these and other aspects in the proposal, following the suggestions as included in our recommendations, in order to fulfil the shared objective of ensuring recycled bio-waste and other secondary raw materials will be part of CE fertilising products.

Please find the updated position paper (date 31/10) indicating several specific elements which are of our gravest concern here.

The European Compost Network (ECN) has co-signed the joint statement "Oxo-degradable plastic packaging is not a solution to plastic pollution and does not fit in a circular economy" initiated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The joint public statement was endorsed by over 150 organisations worldwide until today.

To create a plastics system that works, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative, together with the signing organisations, supports innovation that designs out waste and pollution, and keeps products and materials in high-value use in line with the principles of a circular economy. Oxo-degradable plastics are being produced and sold in many countries, with society being led to believe they safely biodegrade in nature. Yet significant evidence suggests oxo-degradable plastics do not safely biodegrade but fragment into small pieces, contributing to microplastics pollution.

The joint public statement on oxo-degradable plastics can be accessed here.

Further information on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative can be find here.

12 - 14 December 2017, Nuremberg (DE)
BIOGAS Convention & Trade Fair

The German Biogas Association and the DLG offer a high-quality international event.

Lectures are offered in German, in English or with translation. You will find a corresponding note at every programme point.

The full programme can be accessed here.

Being among the prominent initiatives in the South-East European Region, the event is a meeting point for industry players from production, commercial and public sectors, municipality and state administration representatives. For its 14 years existence, it has successfully paved the way for advanced technologies and knowledge to the growing South-East European market.

Further information can be accessed here.