At the end of 2025, Ltd. “ZAAO” (ZAAO) prepared a report on the operational efficiency of the installed mechanised food packaging separation unit at the Circular Economy Centre - CEC “Daibe”, thus concluding the active implementation phase of the project activities.
The unit is designed to efficiently separate packaging from food products that have passed their expiry date, ensuring that the food fraction can be further processed at the biodegradable waste (BDW) treatment plant. This enables unfit food to be converted into energy and subsequently into compost, while significantly reducing the environmental impact of food waste. This represents a sustainable and responsible approach that helps reduce the overall volume of waste and promotes the development of a circular economy.
An annual assessment of the unit’s performance shows that the actual capacity achieved during testing - 450-460 kg/h - meets the nominal requirements and enables the processing of ≥700 tonnes per year, provided that a sufficient volume of material for treatment is available. During the period from January 2025 to the end of December 2025, a total of 410.59 tonnes of food waste were processed. Thus, ZAAO achieved the project target of increasing waste treatment volumes by ≥400 tonnes per year. This results in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by ≥583 tonnes of CO₂e per year.
The unit ensures a high-quality organic fraction and overall reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill. The quality of organic fraction separation is high - 98-99% - making it suitable for both biogas and compost production. During testing, the organic fraction accounted for approximately 97%, packaging for 1%, and impurities for around 2%.
As noted by ZAAO Head of Development Department, Mārtiņš Niklass:
“This technology has transfer potential within Latvia. The profitability of the service depends on the volume of processable material and synergy with biogas production.”
Work on further improving the service continues, and data on the project’s impact on outcome indicators will also be collected going forward.
More information about the packaged food waste collection service is available on the website www.zaao.lv under the section “Packaged Food Waste Collection”. The service can be requested by emailing zaao@zaao.lv or calling +371 29221847.
