Bio-waste constitutes around 30% of our household waste, and mostly ends up in landfills or incinerators. A hell of a waste when you know that they are mainly composed of water. A European directive provides for their sorting and recycling by 2023.
–
In mid-November 2020, many are still throwing their peelings and leftover meals directly into their main trash. However, these bins are either buried or incinerated. In the first case, the organic compounds will produce methane, a gas 25 times more impacting on global warming than carbon dioxide. When incinerated, this bio-waste releases CO2 which further accentuates the greenhouse effect.
Pompey, pioneer of collecting
In the community of communes of the Pompey basin, elected officials wondered about this problem 20 years ago. In 1999, they set up door-to-door collection of green waste and organic compounds in all thirteen municipalities. Thus, once a week, a truck comes to collect the green bin dedicated to bio-waste.
It seemed obvious to us that a solution had to be found for this waste, which is mainly composed of water.
A decision all the more logical as these organic compounds have a real value for amateur or professional gardeners. Well managed, they turn into reusable compost. Hence the idea of the community of communes to install a industrial composting platform on the heights of Marbache, and which redistributes the precious fertilizer free of charge to the inhabitants.
A third of our bins are made up of bio-waste, which in turn consists mainly of water.
•
© Grand Nancy
–
In addition, the community of semi-rural municipalities is financially involved, because industrial composting makes it possible to treat bio-waste at a price lower than that of incineration.
Grand Nancy relies on composters
The sorting at source of bio-waste in private homes has been programmed in France for 2025 by the Energy transition law for green growth of August 17, 2015. The 2018 European framework directive reduced this date to December 31, 2023 at the latest. This does not necessarily mean an obligation of door-to-door collection, but rather to offer residents several solutions so that there is no longer any organic matter in their bins.
Shared and individual composters are less polluting than door-to-door collection
•
© Grand Nancy
–
In Greater Nancy, we made the choice to develop en masse shared composters for several years. They are found at the foot of buildings, in parks, on the banks of the Meurthe. More than 150 wooden compartments have been installed throughout the city.
Citizens have obviously adapted well to this system of “green waste reception center“in their neighborhood.
Composters overflow regularly, particularly those located in Sainte Marie Park.
The metropolis has also been subsidizing individual composting for almost 15 years, by offering wood or plastic composters at very competitive prices of 18 to 28 euros for 300 and 500 liter bins. Nearly 15,000 composters have already been sold, and allow you to recycle bio-waste in your garden, when you are lucky enough to have one.
We would like to be able to favor individual and collective composters, rather than organizing a new door-to-door collection, which would ultimately be more expensive to set up in the city.
Indeed, a study was carried out in 2018 to assess the costs of collecting bio-waste. It clearly shows that, whatever the scenario, collection from families and professionals would be more expensive and more technical in urban areas.
Epinal tests all solutions
In the community of commune of Epinal, it is the Sicovad which manages waste, in a territory which also exceeds the limits of the agglomeration to overflow into rural areas. This makes it possible to experiment with other solutions, such as henhouses for example.
The union subsidizes the purchase of a solid henhouse to the tune of 50 euros. A solution that can only be complementary, a hen absorbing only 150 kg of waste per year.
Chickens can swallow up to 150 kg of bio-waste per year
•
© Sicovad
–
Like the Grand Nancy, the Sicovad relies on composters to recycle residents’ bio-waste, with the provision of master composters to provide technical assistance. The 600-liter wooden bins are offered at a very low price, 32 euros, to invite citizens to sort.
Many collective establishments, schools, retirement homes and social landlords have chosen this solution in the region. As for door-to-door collection, it was tested just before the arrival of Covid-19, at individuals and traders, but has not been adopted definitively for the moment, because the experiment has was stopped outright by confinement.
Metz in reflection
Sorting bio-waste in facilities shared or individual composting makes it possible to significantly reduce the quantity of waste taken care of, that is to say collected and treated by the community. This is why the city of Metz has chosen to offer its inhabitants free composters (subject to a deposit of 25 euros per year). In addition, around a hundred compost bins are installed throughout the neighborhoods and managed by local associations.
A solution that is still little used but very effective: vermicomposting
•
© SICOVAD
–
The metropolis of Metz has also embarked on the vermicomposting subsidy. Closed boxes containing worms for those who live in an apartment. About thirty households have been trained and are experimenting with this more technical type of composting.
Today 13% of the population recycles their bio-waste, we expect to reach 20% by 2023.
To complete this, it will probably be necessary to set up an individualized collection. It is in full reflection among the elect.
–
