Biodegradable and compostable products that are certified according to the harmonized European standard EN 13432 (or EN 14995) are suitable for organic recycling and will completely biodegrade in an industrial composting plant, with no adverse effects on the process or on the final product (compost). These materials are working well in different composting plant types with different process duration.
One application of biodegradable bioplastics are biodegradable and compostable organic waste bags. The utilisation of these bags increases the amount of organic waste collected from households, especially food waste.
Organic waste from household and commercial sources is very often treated in industrial composting. However, it is increasingly processed in Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants to produce biogas. AD plants that convert biowaste are ideally connected with a subsequent composting step. This “cascade use” of organic waste by first exploiting its energy potential and second producing compost as a fertilizer allows for an efficient material and energetic use of biowaste. The combination of AD and composting gives the best results as to renewable energy and quality compost production.