This September marks the official launch of COMPERF4EU – Optimising Biowaste Composting Plant Performance for a Circular and Safe Bioeconomy Across Europe. Funded by the European Commission, the project will run for two and a half years and it is coordinated by Fundació ENT, in partnership with six leading organisations in composting, bioeconomy and circular systems: European Compost Network (ECN), the Italian Composting and Biogas Association (CIC), VLACO VZW, Compostable by Design Platform (CbDP), and Wageningen University & Research. The project also counts with four associated partners: Municipal Waste Europe (MWE), the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC), the US Composting Council (USCC), and the Compost Council of Canada (CCC).
COMPERF4EU addresses key challenges affecting biowaste composting plants and their role in the EU circular bioeconomy:
- Fragmented legislation across Member States on biowaste collection, acceptance and compost quality;
- Low operational uptake of biodegradable and compostable packaging (BCP);
- Limited coordination between BCP designers and producers, waste operators and authorities.
To respond to these challenges, the project will:
- analyse national biowaste and BCP policies and treatment systems;
- benchmark composting plant performance in 10 selected EU and non-EU countries.
- identify best-performing facilities using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
By combining stakeholder engagement, literature reviews, plant-level data and targeted assessments of EN 13432‑compliant BCP, COMPERF4EU will deliver robust evidence, practical tools, and both policy and technical recommendations to improve biowaste composting plant performance and support effective biowaste/BCP co-composting. This integrated approach will help align between product design, waste management operations and regulatory frameworks, contributing to a more circular, resilient and environmentally sound bioeconomy in line with the EU Green Deal and Circular Economy goals.