From cost to value: How EU funds can boost biowaste circularity in central and eastern Europe from 2027
Report | 11 November 2025
Biowaste, the largest component of municipal waste, is the second-biggest source of methane – a gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Although optimising biowaste management is the most cost-effective, ‘no-regrets’ climate action available, most Member States in central and eastern Europe continue to rely on mixed waste collection, resulting in persistent and costly underperformance.
The failure to adequately invest in source-separated biowaste collection and treatment is exacerbating regional disparities within the EU and making key recycling and climate targets unattainable for most countries in central and eastern Europe.
This briefing calls for an immediate strategic shift: divest from linear, ‘end-of-pipe’ treatment like incineration and focus on high-impact circular solutions, such as food-waste prevention, separate biowaste collection, composting and anaerobic digestion – all backed by binding legal and economic instruments.
Theme: Biowaste
Tags: cities for people
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