Roundtable meeting on bio-waste management in Poland

On the 8th of May 2024, INNOWO organized an expert roundtable meeting on systemic changes in the bio-waste management sector in Poland, with a special focus on biodegradable kitchen waste. This topic is extremely important due to the increasing requirements regarding levels of reuse and recycling of municipal waste in Polish municipalities.

In 2022, Poland met the required municipal waste recovery level. By recovering 26.7% of waste, we exceeded the required 25%. However, by 2024 this level must increase to 45%, and by 2035 to as much as 65% — achieving these targets without systemic changes in bio-waste management and modifications to regulations on bio-waste transfer to biogas plants will be impossible.

According to the National Waste Management Plan 2028, up to two-thirds of the 2035 target can be met by bio-waste, which constitutes about 30% of the total municipal waste stream. Municipal biomass from catering facilities and households could significantly support municipalities in meeting the growing waste management requirements while also fostering the development of biogas plants in Poland, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving the quality of all collected municipal waste streams.

During the discussion, possible systemic changes to increase bio-waste recovery in Poland and opportunities for its use in biogas production were explored. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Climate and Environment, members of the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate and the Regional Environmental Protection Inspectorate in Warsaw, local governments, experts from universities, and the waste collection industry. Based on the discussion, a report summarizing the conclusions and recommendations for improving bio-waste management in Poland will be prepared.