Composting municipal solid waste or biowaste? The same quality of compost is possible

The global cost of household waste management is raised by about 20 to 50% when selective collection of biowaste is introduced. In fact, high quality MSW composts can be produced, averaging the same quality as biowaste composts, if a strict treatment process is used.On all the criterions considered in this paper (impurities, heavy metals, pathogens and pesticides contents), the MSW compost of Lantic in France is similar to biowaste composts. Moreover, with MSW composting, the amount of waste directed to landfill or incineration is only about 50% of the input MSW. The expected savings in a system with MSW composting, in relation to a system with selective collection of biowaste followed by composting, is about 1.1 million euros per year for 75,000 inhabitants, or even more, when the landfill or incineration costs are very high.The future Compost European Directive should take these considerations into account. Le coà»t global du traitement des déchets ménagers augmente de 20 à  50% avec la collecte sélective de biodéchets. En fait, les composts produits à  partir des ordures ménagères résiduelles peuvent être de même qualité que ceux produits à  partir de biodéchets avec un process strict. L'usine de Lantic respecte tous les critères de la future norme U44 051. Après compostage il ne reste que 50% de refus à  traiter.Un syndicat de 75 000 habitants peut gagner 1,1 million d`euros par an. La future norme européenne devrait en tenir compte.