1 Introduction and organic waste situation

update July 2010

Around 495.000 inhabitants live in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in an area of 2.586 km². The composition of the population is characterised by a large degree of foreigners who make up about 44% of the country’s population. Additionally, there are 150.000 commuters originating from the neighbouring countries of France, Belgium and Germany, working in Luxembourg, thus contributing to its waste accumulation.

According to the waste legislation (Law on the prevention and management of waste of 17 June 1994), the 116 local authorities are responsible for waste management. For the purpose of efficient and collective conduct of waste management, local authorities have the right to form syndicates (administrative unions).

The associations SIDOR (waste incineration plant), SIGRE and SIDEC (MBT/landfill) were founded for the building and running of waste disposal plants, which together guarantee the waste disposal for the whole country. In addition, various local authorities have formed smaller syndicates with specific tasks such as the running of composting- and fermentation-plants, or recycling-parks and the organisation of residual waste collection. In Luxembourg, the amount of residual waste in need of disposal amounts to 190.000 tons per year.

On the state level, the comprehensive introduction of seperate collections of organic waste is stipulated in the waste legislation of Luxembourg of 17 June 1994.

Currently around 45% of a population of 490.000 engage in organic waste separation through the „Biotonne“ (green bin), and collection systems for green waste through collection and drop-off facilities are available for over 90% of the population. In 2008, ca. 65.000 tons of biological and green waste were collected and utilised through this system. In addition, ca. 10.000 tons of market waste and organic waste from industrial production were utilised.

Compostation of organic waste

7 composting plants with an approved total capacity of 45.000 tons are currently in operation in Luxembourg. 3 plants exclusively process green waste and 4 plants process separately collected biological and green waste. The approved capacities of the individual composting plants stretch between 2.000 and 20.000 tons per year.

Additionally a composting plant for sewage sludge and green waste with a total capacity of 37.500 tons is in operation.

Fermentation of organic waste

In 2008, 16 agricultural co-fermentation plants were in operation in the Grand Duchy within which a total of around 14.700 tons of non-agricultural organic waste was being processed, 5.000 tons of which was green waste. The approved total capacity of these plants designed for organic waste (except bio-waste, for which these plants do not hold approval) was 40.000 tons per year.

In 2010, 3 new fermentation plants will go on line, 2 co-fermentation plants with a capacity for, amongst others, ca. 29.000 tons of bio-waste, so to say organic waste and a bio-gas plant solely for bio- and green waste with a capacity of 30.000 tons. The latter and one of the co-fermentation plants recycle the produced bio-gas to bio-methan, which is then injected into the local gas distribution system.

Table: Development of processed organic waste in Luxembourg

Mechanical-biological residual waste processing

According to the national implementation of the European landfill directive, respectively the landfill regulation 1999/31/EC, both Luxembourg plants pre-treat the residual waste. SIDEC operates a mechanic-biological residual waste treatment plant with a capacity of 30.000 tons per year. SIGRE disintegrates the residual waste (ca. 25.000 tons per year) which is then stabilized biologically via outdoor non-mobile composting heaps.

Compost-production and -use

In 2008, ca. 15.300 tons of compost were produced and marketed into its various industries of use. The following table shows the market areas and the respective amounts of compost used.
Table: Market areas and the respective amounts of compost in Luxembourg (2008)

2 Legal framework for the organic waste stream and the compost production

At present, there is no specific legislation in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg stipulating the collection of organic waste and usage of compost. Merely article 19 of the waste legislation of 17 June 1994 stipulates the comprehensive introduction of seperate collections for organic waste. The targets and procedures of waste management are elaborated in the „Plan général de gestion des déchets“ of January 2010.

Regulations and directives regarding the collection and the quality of raw materials, as well as the to be maintained compost qualities are laid down in the respective operating licences of the composting- or fermentation plants according to environmental and waste law.

The quality guarantee of the produced compost is thus also stipulated for the individual plants in the framework of the operating licences. The regulations for compost quality are with minor exceptions and additions taken from the German RAL seal of quality

The following table shows in an examplatory manner some of the specified measures and parameters for a composting plant (mature compost quality) with an annual input of 20.000 tons.

As there is no union of compost producers in Luxembourg, 5 of the 7 composting plants are linked to the compost federal community in Germany and are in possession of the RAL seal of quality for mature compost.

3 Contacts and sources of country information

Additional information on general waste management can be found on the website of Luxembourg’s ministry of sustainable development at www.emwelt.lu.
Sources: Plan général de gestion des déchets, January 2010.
Summary of the annual review of composting and fermentation plants in Luxembourg at www.Emwelt.lu

Iglux s.a.r.l.
Mr. Klaus Groell
3, place des Bruyère
3714 RUMELANGE
Tel. +352 26 56 501
Fax: +352 26 56 50 50
Email: k.groell@iglux.lu
Web: www.iglux.lu