Lund University International Master Program in Environmental Sciences Waste treatment in Greece after the passage of EU Landfill Directive

Due to economic growth Greece has experienced a large amount of waste generation during the last twenty years. Landfill has been the predominant waste treatment method which applied so far in the country. A large portion about 90% of the refuse is disposed in Sanitary Landfills and open dumps. European Union concerns for the human health, as well as the environment impose a specific framework for the waste management. The landfill directive places quantitative targets to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable municipal solid waste. Member States must reduce the total amount of BSW to 35% of BSW produced in 1995, until 2016. Greece because is a country with heavy reliance on Landfilling (up to 80%) took a four year extension to attain the targets (2020). Greece has made efforts to treat the biodegradable fraction of waste with composting, but the absence of source separation has as result the low quality of the composting product. Landfill Bioreactor Cell treatment that applied since 1990 in Southern Sweden is a promising case for Greece. The particular treatment method, is a low cost treatment, provides revenues for utilization of energy and nutrients. Energy is extracted as biogas and nutrients are recovered by the leachates. Thus, energy and nutrients enter back to ecocycle and therefore, to society.