French Solid Waste Partnership

Murianette's Anaerobic Digestor

Lucia Lopez — 2026-04-14T13:01:13Z

A major project for the energy transition of the territory whose construction is underway

By the end of 2027, the composting center will be modernized and produce biogas from food waste.

Local and sustainable project, as well as the integration into the territory's energy transition strategy.
Circular economy and energy potential of food waste sorting.

– https://www.grenoblealpesmetropole.fr/actualite/213/45-centre-de-compostage-de-murianette-ou-les-dechets-deviennent-une-richesse.htm

Food waste recovery centers

Philippe — 2025-10-31T13:30:16Z

Deconditioning of organic waste before anaerobic digestion.

Industrial sites for mass collection and deconditioning of food organic waste—i.e., separating organic matter from packaging:

80,000 tons/year received at Veolia's six industrial sites in France: organic waste from supermarkets, catering services, and households.
Around 30 partnered anaerobic digestion plants recover the “soup” of food waste to produce green energy and digestate used to enrich agricultural land.

– https://www.recyclage.veolia.fr/nous-trouver/biopole-pole-valorisation-biodechets

Major waste-to-energy hub

Philippe — 2025-10-31T08:19:46Z

Recovering biomethane and energy from waste produced on the island.

By 2026, combining multiple technologies to divert 148 kt/year of waste from landfilling:

Methanizer producing renewable biogas and soil amendments from biowaste
RDF (*Refuse-derived fuel) facility producing local, low carbon energy from waste to replace the use of coal and fossil gas

Total amount of energy produced : 121 000 MWh/year.

– https://www.paprec.com/en/the-inauguration-of-the-large-waste-recovery-facility-by-paprec-energies-in-la-reunion/

Assessing the GHG emissions of a waste collection and treatment service

Philippe — 2025-10-31T08:00:24Z

GHG assessment, a tool for understanding carbon impact and identifying emission reduction levers.

Targeted action plan to reduce CO₂ emissions:

Objective: Achieve a 3% annual reduction in emissions, totaling 16 ktCO₂e, broken down as follows:

70% through CO₂ capture and recovery from the WtE plants
8% by improving residents' sorting habits
7% with a sustainable purchasing policy
7% by expanding the fleet of electric machines
5% by using biofuel for the vehicle fleet

Climate Change

Pauline — 2025-10-24T06:39:48Z

The waste sector contributes between 3% and 5% of total global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Improved prevention and waste management presents an opportunity to reduce global GHG emissions by 15 to 25% when aligned with the principles of Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) — for the protection of the environment and health, and supporting a just and circular transition.

Globally, the waste sector (including wastewater management) accounts for about 3–5% of global GHG emissions, according to the IPCC estimates. However, this share varies widely by country. In several island and small states, waste-related emissions can reach 20–30% of national totals. High shares are found in Costa Rica (28%), Ghana (23%), Bulgaria (21%), Eswatini (20%), Bhutan (20%), Georgia (18%), Jordan (17%), El Salvador (16%), Niger (15%), and Syria (15%).

Furthermore, the accounting principle for emissions, which primarily aims to avoid double counting, results in the invisibilization of emissions from the sector. Indeed, waste transport, recycling activities, and energy production from waste are accounted for in the transport, industry, and energy sectors... Thus, the reduction potential through waste prevention and management actions would represent 15 to 25% of global emissions.

Climate Watch (2021). In. FSWP (2025). “Map 1 - Share of GHG emissions from the waste sector in total emissions, 2021”, Atlas on Waste Management and Climate Change Mitigation, p. 14.

There are three main levers for reducing GHG emissions from the waste sector:

Prevention

This first lever relies on resource-efficient consumption, eco-design, and the “8Rs” (refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture and repurpose). Implementing this approach — which reduces waste generation — offers the greatest mitigation potential. Special attention should be given to food waste, to prevent emissions from unnecessary production and from its treatment, which can become a major source of methane emissions.

Managing Biowaste and Eliminating Open Burning

This second lever focuses on implementing waste management practices consistent with ESM, whose main objective — as defined by the Basel Convention — is the protection of health and the environment. It is estimated that nearly 40% of municipal waste generated worldwide is poorly managed. Landfilling waste in sites that do not apply sound construction and operation practices results in methane emissions.

Open burning or spontaneous fires at dumpsites produce black carbon — both of which have strong warming effects. Reducing these emissions represents a major opportunity for climate mitigation, while also protecting health and the environment.
Methane remains in the atmosphere for about 12 years and has a global warming potential 84 times greater than CO₂ over a standardized period of 20 years for calculating CO₂ equivalents.

Because methane emissions have a strong short-term impact, actions taken now can deliver immediate benefits in slowing the warming trend.

Information Note on Methane Emissions

Recovery of Recycled Materials and Energy from Waste

This third lever promotes waste treatment methods that avoid emissions which would otherwise occur through fossil resources consumption in other sectors (e.g., industry, district heating).

Energy can be recovered from:

Anaerobic digestion of organic waste,
Biogas capture from engineered landfills,
Waste to Energy plants (WtE), or
Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) production.

This lever represents the final link in the transition toward a circular economy, but prevention will always remain the top priority for reducing not only climate impacts, but also pollution and biodiversity loss.

Energy recovery opportunities

FSWP (2025). “Figure 11 - Opportunities for energy recovery”, Atlas on Waste Management and Climate Change Mitigation, p. 40.

Enhancing circular economy

Enhancing circular economy is a means to conserve resources so that they can be used several times for various usages after their extraction (primarily as raw materials or, if not feasible, in the form of energy). Beyond being necessary to address planetary boundaries, circular economy can be, and must be designed to also reduce GHG emissions when producing needed goods.

Waste sector professionals have to work hand in hand with other sectors: contributing to eco-design; supplying low-carbon raw materials and energy; developing a market for the recovered energy and materials.

Beyond being necessary to address planetary boundaries, circular economy can be, and must be designed to also reduce GHG emissions when producing needed goods, in line with the 10Rs, and the ISO norm 59004:2024.

Energy Recovery at Toulouse

Philippe — 2024-05-21T11:02:21Z

Integrated planning across waste, energy and water sectors.

Tomato production for a competitive price thanks to an innovative concept.

Econotre, operated by SUEZ, uses the heat released by incineration of the waste to produce electricity.
Low-temperature energy is also recovered to supply heat to greenhouses.
The necessary proximity was made possible through integrated land planning.

– https://www.econotre.fr/

Restaurant food waste recovery

Philippe — 2023-11-24T10:19:02Z

Reducing sanitary health risks, promoting waste to energy.

Prevent restaurant food waste use as direct animal feed, through dedicated collection and treatment systems:

Introduction of a dedicated collection system for restaurant food waste.
Collection and pre-treatment of used food oils.
Anaerobic digestion facility producing biogas for heat and power co-generation.
Financial viability of the operations through: Waste collection tax; Sales of oil, electricity and heat.

– https://www.afd.fr/en/ressources/focus-solid-waste-management

Promoting integrated solid waste management in Senegal

Philippe — 2023-11-24T10:13:06Z

PROMOGED.

Provide integrated solutions throughout the sector serving 6 million people (2020-2026).

Improve the regulatory, financial and fiscal framework of the sector.
Develop partnerships between the public authorities and private sector.
Rehabilitation of the Mbeubeuss Dakar dumpsite integrating the informal sector.
Foster a holistic waste management system.

– https://www.afd.fr/en/ressources/focus-solid-waste-management

Improving household waste management

Philippe — 2023-11-24T09:50:47Z

Towards a sustainable urban transition in Lomé.

Holistic domestic waste management system in the Grand Lomé: 1.8 M people, 300,000 t/y of solid waste.

An ongoing multi-tranch project since 2006:

Improvement of the holistic solid waste management system and capacity building support.
Implementation of engineered landfills with long term biogas and leachate management.
Strengthening recovery & recycling initiatives.
Improvement of the sector financial resources.
Gradual increase of performance requirements.

– Know more

Oil & Gas Waste Recovery

Philippe — 2023-11-24T09:40:25Z

The ecological transformation of the oil industry in the Middle East.

Hazardous waste treatment at Al Ruways: the largest oil refinery in the Middle East.

Maximize resource recovery (water and oil) from oil and gas industrial waste, for reuse on nearby OpCo's (ADNOC Operational subsidiaries) industrial sites (recovery and reuse of petroleum resources).
Increase the green energy production capacity through an upcoming solar power plant.

– https://www.veolia.com/en/our-media/newsroom/press-releases/veolia-accelerates-hazardous-waste-treatment-activities-middle-east