Biogas Potential from Mechanically Sorted Biowaste: Quality, Process and System Effects

Despite that many Swedish households have had separate collection of food waste for a long time, a large share still ends up in the residual waste bound for incineration, which leads to a sub-optimal use of potentially digestible bio-waste. This project addresses this resource underutilisation by investigating the possibility of using bio-waste separated from residual waste for biogas production and as fertiliser. Sweden’s first facility for mechanical separation of bio-waste from residual waste was finalised in the summer of 2025, which creates a unique opportunity to study the potential of this fraction. By comparing bio-waste that is mechanically sorted with source-separated food waste in terms of composition, pre-treatment suitability, biogas potential, and digestate quality, the project provides the scientific underpinnings to assess if mechanically separated bio-waste can be a resource-efficient option in future biogas systems.

Photo: Matthew Mentley, Unsplash