Publications
Success stories on composting and separate collection
It is my pleasure to preface this collection of
success stories in the field of biodegradable waste management published
by the Directorate-General for the Environment.
These stories are addressed to people who are responsible
for waste management in local authorities, who are members of an
environmental NGO or who are simply interested in improving the
way in which waste is managed in our society.
Every year more and more waste is generated in
the European Union. The volume of waste generated constitutes one
of the parameters for measuring the degree of sustainability of
our way of life. More has to be done to minimise the quantity of
waste produced and to maximise the quantity of waste recycled. This
booklet is about how local authorities can be at the forefront of
waste management and help all of us contribute to a better environment.
When we eat, mow the lawn or prune trees - we produce
waste. But this waste is a special type of waste. It can easily
be transformed into a useful product that can enhance the quality
of our soils, especially the soils that an intensive agricultural
system is making less fertile. This product is compost.
Compost is the odourless, stable and humus-like
material rich in organic matter as well as proteins and carbohydrates,
which originates from the composting process of organic wastes.
The "magic" of transforming a putrescible, pungent and
wet waste into an organic material smelling of soil and freshly
turned earth is performed by nature. Bacteria, fungi and worms are
all involved. Human technology is only mimicking and speeding up
what nature is doing every day under our very own eyes.
The success stories in this booklet will show you
that it is not necessary to make big investments and have a sophisticated
industrial plant for producing compost - you can do it in your garden!
I would like to underline that to produce good
quality compost you need to collect the biodegradable waste separately
from other wastes. We all have to make our contribution, if we want
to improve the status of our environment. Consumers will have to
make an effort to actually separate the waste. Local authorities
will have the task of organising an effective collection system
so as to minimise costs. Economic operators will have to improve
the way in which they handle biodegradable waste. Finally, national
governments and the Commission will have to find ways of ensuring
that the compost produced will improve the quality of our soils.
I hope that - with the goodwill of all those concerned
- this booklet may be useful in generating ideas, suggesting new
pathways, shedding light on separate collection and composting of
biodegradable waste in the Community at the turn of the 21st century!
Margot Wallström
Environment Commissioner
(pdf ~2,500K)
     
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