The European Commission has set new environmental requirements for waste treatment. This initiative comes after the review of the Best Available Techniques (BATs) to reduce the environmental impact of largest waste treatment installations.
The measure will affect approximately 4,000 installations, including waste-based AD plants, across the EU. The European Commission has established new environmental standards for setting permit conditions for them, which shall be transposed by national authorities into domestic law. Existing waste treatment installations will have four years to comply with the EC requirements. New installations will have to conform to BAT measures immediately.
The adopted decision covers emissions from different waste treatments and includes new conclusions for energy efficiency, resource efficiency, accident prevention, noise and odor, as well as management of residues.
For the first time, the Commission has set out the emission levels associated with BATs from the aerobic treatment of waste, which will have to be taken into account for biogas production. It notes that these new levels could drive a significant reduction in emissions from the waste treatment sector.
Source: European Biogas Association
