Reducing organic waste content in landfill

In many countries more than 60% of what constitutes rubbish removed to landfill sites is organic. Landfill sites can cause severe soil and water pollution while the rotting of their organic content creates methane, an explosive and powerful greenhouse gas. Strategies to reduce organic landfill content involve the recovery and recycling of organic waste through composting systems or the incineration of mixed organic materials.

In 1997 the European Commission agreed regulations to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill to 75% of 1995 levels by 2006, 50% by 2009 and 25% by 2016.