Biodegradable waste is a type of waste, typically originating from
plantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
or
animalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
sources, which may be degraded by other living organisms. Waste that cannot be broken down by other living organisms are called non-biodegradable.
Biodegradable waste can be commonly found in
municipal solid wasteMunicipal solid waste , commonly known as trash or garbage , refuse or rubbish is a waste type consisting of everyday items we consume and discard. It predominantly includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential,...
(sometimes called biodegradable municipal waste, or BMW) as
green wasteGreen waste is biodegradable waste that can be composed of garden or park waste, such as grass or flower cuttings and hedge trimmings, as well as domestic and commercial food waste...
,
food wasteFood waste or food loss is food that is discarded or lost uneaten. As of 2011, 1.3 billion tons of food, about one third of the global food production, are lost or wasted annually. Loss and wastage occurs on all steps in the food supply chain...
,
paperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
waste, and biodegradable plastics. Other
biodegradableBiodegradation or biotic degradation or biotic decomposition is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria or other biological means...
wastes include
human wasteHuman waste is a waste type usually used to refer to byproducts of digestion, such as feces and urine. Human waste is most often transported as sewage in waste water through sewerage systems...
,
manureManure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
,
sewageSewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
,
slaughterhouse wasteSlaughterhouse waste is a biodegradable waste with the following definition:Animal body parts cut off in the preparation of carcasses for use as food...
. In the absence of
oxygenOxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
much of this waste will decay to
methaneMethane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
by
anaerobic digestionAnaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. It is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste and/or to release energy....
.
Climate change impacts
The main environmental threat from biodegradable waste is the production of methane in landfills. Methane is 21 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide and accounted for some 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-15 in 1995. The Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC obliges Member States to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste that they landfill to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016, which will significantly reduce the problem.l
Uses of biodegradable waste
Biodegradable waste can often be used for composting or must doubtless be a resource for heat, electricity and fuel in future as it is being achieved by the swiss
Kompogas treatment for 20 years now. This produces additional
BiogasBiogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
and still delivers the compost for the soil. It is a fully developped system and produced 27 million Kwh of electricity and Biogas in 2009. The oldest of the companies own lorries has achieved 1.000.000 kilometes driven with biogas from household waste in the last 15 years.
See also
- Biodegradability prediction
Biodegradability prediction is biologically inspired computing and attempts to predict biodegradability of anthropogenic materials in the environment...
- Biodegradable bags
Biodegradable bags are bags made from materials that are able to decompose under specified conditions of light, moisture, and oxygen. Every year approximately 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide. Often composting conditions or exposure to sun, moisture, and oxygen are needed:...
- Biodegradation
Biodegradation or biotic degradation or biotic decomposition is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria or other biological means...
- Biodrying
Biodrying is the process by which biodegradable waste is rapidly heated through initial stages of composting to remove moisture from a waste stream and hence reduce its overall weight....
- Brown waste
Brown Waste is any biodegradable waste that is predominantly carbon based. The term includes such items as dry leaves, twigs, hay, paper, sawdust, corn cobs, cardboard, pine needles or cones, etc....
- Green waste
Green waste is biodegradable waste that can be composed of garden or park waste, such as grass or flower cuttings and hedge trimmings, as well as domestic and commercial food waste...
- Landfill diversion
Waste diversion or landfill diversion is the process of diverting waste from landfill. The success of landfill diversion can be measured by comparison of the size of the landfill from one year to the next. If the landfill grows minimally or remains the same, then policies covering landfill...
- List of waste types
- Miniwaste
Miniwaste is a European project , co-funded by the LIFE+ programme of the European Commission. It is designed to “bring bio-waste back to life”...