Optimal biowaste management reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are generated when it is not properly treated. It also transforms this waste into new resources - green energy and fertilizer in particular.
European regulations require restaurants and the agri-food industry to set up separate collection systems for the bio-waste they produce and to optimize landfill, incineration, and biological treatment, i.e. by composting or anaerobic digestion.
In France, as from January 2012, the so-called "Grenelle II" law requires all large producers of bio-waste (in particular large retailers) to sort, collect, and recover their biowaste specifically. This means they have to put a bio-waste management system in place that combines compliance with regulations, health and safety, cost control, and environmental performance.
Who are our customers ?
Agri-food industry, large retailers, collective catering
The Veolia Solution

It covers all aspects of waste management from collection, to sorting, separation, and finally recovery through dedicated channels. The waste can then be transformed into green energy, organic fertilizer, or animal feed. Packaging is also recovered through the appropriate recycling channels.
Veolia is able to manage any bio-waste: liquid or solid waste, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products and bakery products - whether packaged or loose.
Veolia's biowaste solution offers customers simple and efficient management of the biowaste they produce.
Benefits for our customers
Complying with current regulations
Optimizing costs
Health and safety and efficiency
Focus Innovation
Removing packaging, a crucial step in the value chain
Veolia is innovating in its bio-waste recovery centres by introducing packaging removal units. For example in the waste processing plant in Granges, Burgundy, the packaging removal unit separates biowaste from its packaging by centrifuging. The two types of waste can therefore be treated and recovered as appropriate. In 2015, the unit handled nearly 3,000 tonnes of packaged bio-waste from the food and beverage industry and the local agri-food industry.
They chose this solution

United Kingdom
Costa Coffee called on Veolia to manage bio-waste in 50 % of its 1,500 coffee shops in the United Kingdom. To help the coffee shop chain achieve its goal of zero waste to landfill, Veolia conducted a series of audits before proposing and implementing a specific sorting solution. Result: Costa Coffee has reduced its costs by 13%, and energy is recovered from 90% of its biowaste.

France
Near Arras, the Artois anaerobic digestion site allows producers to recover their bio-waste through anaerobic digestion. Fermentation of biowaste in the absence of oxygen produces green energy (biogas). This is converted by combustion into electricity, which is resold and injected into the local electricity distribution network. The digestate (residue of non compostable organic elements and minerals) is turned into fertilizer for agriculture.