Compositional Analysis of Biowaste from Study Sites in Greek Municipalities

Abstract

In recent years biowaste has been classified as a top priority waste stream due to the large quantities generated and the potential for more sustainable management options. Despite the increasing importance on the topic, qualitative and quantitative data concerning municipal biowaste composition is limited only to countries with extended waste management experience, whereas a standardized method on biowaste composition analysis is still missing. This work focuses on the presentation of the results of a state of the art methodology developed for conducting compositional and extended physicochemical analysis on biowaste obtained from source separation schemes in two major Greek municipalities (Athens and Kifissia). The composition analysis revealed significant differentiation of the characteristics between the examined areas and other case studies in EU countries. ‘Fruit and vegetable’ waste constituted the main waste component for both Municipalities while significant seasonal differentiation was recorded, whereas increased level of ‘Other biowaste’ for both case studies was observed. The extended physicochemical analyses of the biowaste characteristics showed a strong degree of similarity in biowaste samples irrespective of the investigated area and the seasonal variation in biowaste composition. Additionally, heavy metals concentration in biowaste supports the concept that source separation reduces their migration level from non-compostable materials to the fermentable matrix compared to commingled collection and mechanical separation.