Integrated management of bio-waste in Greece: The case studies of Athens & Kifissia

Sofia GiannakiEnvironmental Engineer MSc.

Municipality of Athens

Sustainable Solid Waste Management“Athens 2012”June 29th, 2012

LIFE10 ENV/GR/605

What is biowaste?

1. Food waste from households, caterers & food processing industry

2. Green waste from parks and gardens

Biowaste management in Greece

Biowaste on average 32% of municipal waste by weight in the EU,

40% in Greece

• Burning of green waste common practice in agricultural areas

• Some municipal home composting initiatives

• Municipal biowaste mixed with residual waste directed to landfills

Biowaste, landfilling & climate change

• Biowaste under anaerobic conditions in landfills produces significant quantities of methane.

• Methane = potent greenhouse gas 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide

Diversion of biowaste from landfills a significant contribution against climate change

Biowaste management legislation

Joint Ministerial Decision 29407/3508/2002 (EU Directive on landfills, 1999/31/EC) &Joint Ministerial Decision 50910/2727/2003 With 1995 reference year (100% by weight), biodegradable municipal waste in landfills must be reduced to:- 75% in 2010 - 50% in 2013 - 35% in 2020

Law 4042/2012 (EU Directive 2008/98/ΕC) Until 2015 biowaste separate collection at least 5% of biowaste total amount by weight Until 2020 biowaste separate collection at least 10% of biowaste total amount by weight

Also, starting 2014: biowaste to landfills without pre-treatment additional gate fee of 35 €/tn (annual increase by 5 € with a maximum fee of 60 €/tn)

National strategy on biowaste management

Diversion of as much biowaste from landfill as possible

Promotion of biowaste separate collection

The ATHENS BIOWASTE project

Integrated management of bio-waste in Greece: The case studies of Athens & Kifissia

Acronym “ATHENS BIOWASTE”

LIFE+ project

LIFE10 ENV/GR/605

Duration: 36 months (start: 1.9.2011, end: 31.8.2014)

Partners

1. National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), School of Chemical Engineering, Unit of Environmental Science and Technology (Project coordinator)

2. Association of Municipalities of Attica (EDSNA)

3. Municipality of Athens

4. Municipality of Kifissia

5. EPTA SA – Environmental Engineers – Consultants

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

Selection of the Pilot Areas

• A population of 3.000 – 4.500 inhabitants for each municipality

• The areas must differ significantly evaluation on how these characteristics influence the implementation of the biowaste source separation scheme

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

MUNICIPALITY OF ATHENS 1st area Kypriadou, high density residential area2nd area Gazi, low density area, many restaurants, cafeterias, bars, high production of biowaste

G A Z I

KYPRIADOU

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

Municipality of Athens: Two additional points

Outcome of the high impact of the ATHENS-BIOWASTE dissemination activities

Ministry of Defense - Club of Officers at Vasilissis Sofia's Avenue in the center of Athens (food waste from restaurant)

Agricultural University of Athens, Votanikos area, near the center of Athens (food waste from the students’ restaurant and part of green waste)

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

MUNICIPALITY OF KIFISSIA 1st area Kato Kifissia, medium density area with flats and detached houses2nd area: Nea Kifissia (similar to Kato Kifissia)3rd area: Ekali, low density residential area with big houses with yard4th area: Kastri (low density residential area)

EKALI

KASTRI

KATO KIFISSIA

NEA KIFISSIA

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

Separate collection method for the City of Athens

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

Separate collection methods for the Municipality of Kifissia

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

Collection and transport of biowaste• existing collection vehicle and staff of the Municipalities • vehicle equipped with special livery (project logo)

• online fleet management system operation in the vehicle for monitoring of the biowaste collection

ACTION 2: Planning of a separate collection pilot system

Planning of the awareness campaign

Before the start-date of the pilot scheme- letter by Mayor/Vice Mayor with - Informational Leaflet on Biowaste Collection at Source

At the start-date of the pilot scheme- Door-to-door approach of citizens and provision with kitchen caddies, biodegradable bags and instructions on how to start collection at source

During the implementation of the pilot scheme- Reminding the citizens about biowaste collection- Dedicated telephone help line and email address by each municipality- Events organized by each municipality or common events

ACTION 3: Implementation of the separate collection program in the selected areas

1. Implementation of the awareness campaign (September 2012)

2. Implementation of separation at source (October 2012 – September 2013)

3. Laboratory analysis of collected samples (e.g. waste composition)

evaluation of the separation success

ACTION 4: Composting of the collected material and analysis of the final product

• Design and implementation of composting

• Laboratory analysis to evaluate quality of produced compost

• Development of software to link the quality of compost to the quality of collection and processing of biowaste

Processing of the collected biowaste from the two municipalities in the composting unit of the Mechanical and Biological Treatment Plant (EMAK) of EDSNA

Development of appropriate software

to calculate the carbon footprint

of the collection at source

and treatment of biowaste

ACTION 5: Bio-waste management software tool

ACTION 6: National bio-waste plan and recommendations

A. Creation of a Guide for local authorities on sustainable management of biowaste through separation at source

B. Technical specifications and regulations’ proposalsCompilation of proposals to revise / modify the existing technical standards and regulations of the current Greek bio-waste management legislation dating from 1997

Main achievements:

(1) the project webpage www.biowaste.gr,

(2) the 1st Newsletter (GR),

(3) press conference on 9th November 2011,

(4) large number of press releases in numerous national newspapers, local newspapers, news

websites, TV coverage at national level and radio coverage,

(5) presentations of the ATHENS-BIOWASTE project in two LIFE 20-year anniversary events

(one in Athens and one in Kifissia) addressing thousands of citizens

ACTION 7: Dissemination

Project website www.biowaste.gr

ACTION 7: Dissemination

Thank you for your attention!

www.biowaste.gr

THE END