Organic waste diversion
Keeping biodegradable material out of disposal routes such as landfilling.
Example
Separate food-waste collection can enable prevention, composting or digestion routes.
The catch
The alternative treatment and associated emissions still require assessment.
Related terms
Composting, Anaerobic decomposition, Anaerobic digestion, Biogas, Biomethane, Destruction efficiency
In more depth
Organic waste diversion, explained.
Organic waste diversion cuts landfill methane at its source, since food and garden waste that never reaches a landfill cannot rot there without oxygen. EU law requires separate collection of bio-waste, and the Landfill Directive sets targets to reduce the biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.
Results depend on what happens next. Composting and anaerobic digestion both work when managed well, though a poorly aerated compost heap can release greenhouse gases of its own. Contamination with plastic lowers the value of compost and digestate, which raises the stakes for collection design. Regular collections with clear guidance for households tend to raise capture rates. Measure diversion by the weight of clean organic material that reaches treatment, since material collected and later rejected ends up in landfill anyway.