OWS N.V.

Dok Noord 5

B-9000 Gent, Belgium

Tel: +32 9 233 02 04

Website: www.ows.be

Dear Sir/Madam,

First of all, many thanks for taking your time to complete this questionnaire. As mentioned in my e-mail, this should not take more than 30 minutes, especially when mainly references are being made to literature links and documents.

Your input, together with the input from other national and international experts, will be used to better understand organic waste management on a worldwide scale. This review will allow us to evaluate and validate current test methods and standards on end-of-life management of bio-based and biodegradable plastics for their relevancy on worldwide scale.

Once all answers have been collected, a summary will be placed at the disposal of all contributors.

In case you would have any question or comment, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The OWS team

General information

(Organic) waste management

Question 1. Has the definition of organic waste been laid down in national, regional and/or local legislation in your country? If so, what is the definition of organic waste (garden waste and/or food waste and/or man-made materials such as biodegradable packaging)?

Answer: Yes, please see the standards list( www.degradable.org.cn/testing-and-standard/testing-
                index.asp).

Question 2. What legislation, on national, regional and/or local level, is available on organic waste management in your country? Is a difference being made between municipal (from households) and industrial (from restaurants, canteens, events,…) organic waste? Are there currently any new regulations under development?

Answer: Please see the standards list( www.degradable.org.cn/testing-and-standard/testing-
                index.asp); No; No clear.

Organic waste collection

Question 1. Is (organic) waste collection and treatment something which is organized and regulated on a national, regional or local level in your country?

Answer: No.

Question 2. Is there a separate organic waste collection scheme in place in your country or are there any plans to set this up in the near future? Is this a voluntary system or a compulsory system? Are there any differences between municipal and industrial organic waste?

Answer: Maybe planning; Maybe voluntary system; No.

Question 3. Are there regulations specified for (separate) organic waste collection rates for the coming years or is there any intention to do so?

Answer: Maybe no.

Question 4. How is organic waste being collected? Are there differences between municipal and industrial organic waste? Can you refer to any statistics (tonne/yr)?

Answer: No clear, maybe none; No.; No clear.

Question 5. Is the organic waste collected in compostable collection bags? If only partially, what is the share of organic waste collected in compostable collection bags?

Answer: No; No clear.

Organic waste treatment

Question 1. How is organic waste treated in your country (composting, anaerobic digestion, mechanical biological treatment, landfilling, incineration,…)? In case of anaerobic digestion, are these stand-alone installations or followed by composting? Can you refer to any statistics (tonne/yr/technology)?

Answer: Maybe landfilling;

Question 2. How many installations are currently operational for each technology? Do you expect an increase or decrease for one or more technologies?

Answer: No clear; I expect an increase for more technologies.

Question 3. How do you expect composting will evolve as a treatment technology? Will this remain a stand-alone technology or will this become a post-treatment stage to anaerobic digestion?

Answer: Yes, I wish; I think that this will remain a stand-alone technology.

biodegradable plastics

Question 1. What is the position of the (local) government and (national) composting associations on the acceptance of biodegradable products in the organic waste treatment plants?

Answer: Guideline

Question 2. Is there any legislation available in your country, on national, regional or local level, focusing on the treatment of biodegradable plastics together with organic waste? Or is there any legislation under development?

Answer: May be some legislation under development.

Question 3. Which incentives are available in your country, on national, regional and/or local level, for the production/use of biodegradable plastics and their treatment via (industrial/home) composting and/or anaerobic digestion? Are there currently any new incentives under development in this area?

Answer: No; Maybe no.

Question 4a. Are biodegradable products accepted for treatment via composting?

Question 4b. Are biodegradable products accepted for treatment via anaerobic digestion?

If yes, are there any requirements before accepting these? Are these products collected separately from or together with the organic waste? Yes; Maybe collected together.

If no, what are the reasons? What would need to be changed in order to accept biodegradable products? No clear.

Answer:

Question 5a. For which application do you see the biggest growth for biodegradable plastics and why?

Question 5b. For which country do you see the biggest growth for biodegradable plastics and why?

Answer: PLA, Because many client enquire approval of this kind of products;

                EU and America, Because they have corresponding requirements and have corresponding    
                approval scheme.

More information

Question 1. Are there any other associations, publications or articles you can refer us to which are dealing with organic waste collection and treatment in your country and who could give valuable input on statistics, legislation and/or use and acceptance of biodegradable plastics in organic waste?

Answer: www.degradable.org.cn (the association of degradable plastic in China); www.ntsqp.org.cn

                (the only testing lab for EN 13432&ASTM D6400 in China, and they had accredited by BPI.)