# Biodegradable waste > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Biodegradable_waste > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Biodegradable_waste.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_waste > Source revision: 1268875829 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Organic matter that can be broken down}} {{Pollution sidebar|Solid waste}} '''Biodegradable waste''' includes any [organic matter](/source/organic_matter) in [waste](/source/type_of_waste) which can be broken down into [carbon dioxide](/source/carbon_dioxide), [water](/source/water), [methane](/source/methane), [compost](/source/compost), [humus](/source/humus), and simple organic [molecule](/source/molecule)s by [micro-organisms](/source/Microorganism) and other living things by [compost](/source/compost)ing, [aerobic digestion](/source/aerobic_digestion), [anaerobic digestion](/source/anaerobic_digestion) or similar processes. It mainly includes [kitchen waste](/source/kitchen_waste) (spoiled food, trimmings, inedible parts), ash, soil, dung and other plant matter. In waste management, it also includes some inorganic materials which can be decomposed by bacteria. Such materials include [gypsum](/source/gypsum) and its products such as [plasterboard](/source/plasterboard) and other simple [sulfate](/source/sulfate)s which can be decomposed by [sulfate reducing bacteria](/source/sulfate_reducing_bacteria) to yield [hydrogen sulfide](/source/hydrogen_sulfide) in anaerobic land-fill conditions.{{cite web|title=Why can't I put my leftover gyproc/drywall in the garbage? |date=19 September 2008|publisher=Recycling Council of British Columbia|url=https://www.rcbc.ca/resources/faqs/hazard9}}{{cite web|title= Fact Sheet: Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide Gases at C&DD Landfills|publisher=Environmental Protection Agency. State of Ohio, U.S.|url= http://epa.ohio.gov/portals/34/document/guidance/gd_669.pdf}} In [domestic waste](/source/domestic_waste) collection, the scope of biodegradable waste may be narrowed to include only those degradable wastes capable of being handled in the local waste handling facilities.{{cite web|url=http://www.ccc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling/sorting/organics-green-bin/|publisher=Christchurch City Council|title=Organics -Green Bin|access-date=19 March 2016}} To address this, many local waste management districts are integrating programs related to [sort the biodegradable waste](/source/Waste_separation) for [composting](/source/composting) or other [waste valorization](/source/waste_valorization) strategies, where biodegradable waste gets reused for other products, such as using [agricultural waste](/source/agricultural_waste) for fiber production or [biochar](/source/biochar). Biodegradable waste when not handled properly can have an outsized impact on [climate change](/source/climate_change), especially through [methane emissions](/source/methane_emissions) from anaerobic fermentation that produces [landfill gas](/source/landfill_gas). Other approaches to reducing the impact include reducing the amount of waste produced, such as through reducing [food waste](/source/food_waste). ==Sources== Biodegradable waste can be found in [municipal solid waste](/source/municipal_solid_waste) (sometimes called biodegradable municipal waste, or as [green waste](/source/green_waste), [food waste](/source/food_waste), [paper](/source/paper) waste and [biodegradable plastics](/source/biodegradable_plastics)). Other [biodegradable](/source/Biodegradation) wastes include [human waste](/source/human_waste), [manure](/source/manure), [sewage](/source/sewage), [sewage sludge](/source/sewage_sludge) and [slaughterhouse waste](/source/slaughterhouse_waste). In the absence of [oxygen](/source/oxygen), much of this waste will decay to [methane](/source/methane) by [anaerobic digestion](/source/anaerobic_digestion).[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120424202015/http://www.cslondon.org/downloads/2010_Waste_Review.pdf CSL London Olympics Waste Review]. cslondon.org In the UK, 7.4 million tonnes of biodegradable waste was sent to [landfill](/source/landfill) in 2018 having reduced from 7.8 million tonnes in 2017.{{cite web|date=March 2019|title=UK Statistics on Waste|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/784263/UK_Statistics_on_Waste_statistical_notice_March_2019_rev_FINAL.pdf|access-date=7 November 2019}} == Collection and processing == In many parts of the developed world, biodegradable waste is separated from the rest of the waste stream, either by separate curb-side collection or by waste sorting after collection. At the point of collection such waste is often referred to as ''green waste''.{{cite web|url=http://www.ccc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling/sorting/organics-green-bin/|title=Organics - Green Bin|publisher= Christchurch City Council|access-date=12 March 2016}} Removing such waste from the rest of the waste stream substantially reduces waste volumes for disposal and also allows biodegradable waste to be [compost](/source/compost)ed. Biodegradable waste can be used for composting or a resource for heat, electricity and fuel by means of [incineration](/source/incineration) or [anaerobic digestion](/source/anaerobic_digestion).[National Non-Food Crops Centre](/source/National_Non-Food_Crops_Centre). [http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/tools/evaluation-of-opportunities-for-converting-indigenous-uk-wastes-to-fuels-and-energy-report-nnfcc-09-012 NNFCC report on Evaluation of Opportunities for Converting Indigenous UK Wastes to Fuels and Energy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720181907/http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/tools/evaluation-of-opportunities-for-converting-indigenous-uk-wastes-to-fuels-and-energy-report-nnfcc-09-012 |date=20 July 2011}}. nnfcc.co.uk Swiss ''Kompogas'' and the Danish ''AIKAN'' process are examples of anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste.[http://www.kompogas-utzenstorf.ch/pdf/kreislauf.pdf Recycling chain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323190447/http://www.kompogas-utzenstorf.ch/pdf/kreislauf.pdf |date=2012-03-23 }}. kompogas-utzenstorf.ch[http://www.aikantechnology.com/ AIKAN website]. aikantechnology.com While incineration can recover the most energy, anaerobic digestion plants retain nutrients and make compost for soil amendment and still recover some of the contained energy in the form of [biogas](/source/biogas). Kompogas produced 27 million [Kwh](/source/Kwh) of electricity and biogas in 2009. The oldest of the company's lorries has achieved 1,000,000 kilometers driven with biogas from household waste in the last 15 years.{{cite news|url=http://www.zuonline.ch/storys/storys.cfm?vID=1585|title=Gesundheit, Kraft und Energie für 2002|date=3 January 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020902075207/http://www.zuonline.ch/storys/storys.cfm?vID=1585|work=zuonline.ch|archive-date=2 September 2002}} === Valorization === ==== Crop residue ==== {{Excerpt|Waste valorization|Crop residue}} ==== Food waste ==== {{Excerpt|Waste valorization|Food waste}} ==== Human excreta ==== {{Excerpt|Reuse of human excreta|paragraphs=1-2}} ==Climate change impacts== ===Landfill gas=== {{excerpt|Landfill gas}} ===Food waste=== {{excerpt|food waste}} ==See also== {{div col|colwidth=18em}} *[Biodegradability prediction](/source/Biodegradability_prediction) *[Biodegradable bags](/source/Biodegradable_bags) *[Biodegradation](/source/Biodegradation) *[Biodrying](/source/Biodrying) *[Compost](/source/Compost) *[Brown waste](/source/Brown_waste) *[Green waste](/source/Green_waste) *[Landfarming](/source/Landfarming) *[Landfill diversion](/source/Landfill_diversion) *[List of waste types](/source/List_of_waste_types) *[Miniwaste](/source/Miniwaste) *[Sewage treatment](/source/Sewage_treatment) {{div col end}} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Waste}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Biodegradable Waste}} Category:Biodegradable waste management Category:Biogas substrates Category:Waste --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Biodegradable waste](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_waste) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_waste?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.