Background According to EUROSTAT data, food waste from manufacturing, food services and catering, and retail and wholesale sectors represents 58% of all food waste generated in the EU and is responsible for 99 million tonnes/yr of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of almost 2% of the total EU emissions in 2008. Increases in both population and disposable income mean that food waste generation is expected to increase to 126 million tonnes/yr by 2020 if no action is taken. Packed food waste – including as a result of misshapen products, packaging damage or rejection in the quality control processes - creates particular problems as it combines organic and inorganic fractions that cannot be currently separated and are, therefore, sent to landfill. The inorganic fraction can make up as much as 20% of the waste volume. Food packaging is designed and produced for a single use, with short expected lifetimes. EUROSTAT data shows that the amount of packaging waste generated is approximately 77 million tonnes/yr. The 2008 European Directive on Waste and Contaminated Lands (2008/98/EC) has highlighted the need to maximise re-use and valorisation of waste, whilst the 1999 Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) set a clear target of reducing the organic waste sent to landfill, by 35% from 1995 to 2014. At Spanish level, the National Waste Plan 2008-2015 (PNIR) promotes the separated collection of waste and reduced disposal to landfill. Objectives This project aims to promote and drive an innovative concept that will enable sustainable management of packed and unpacked food waste across the EU. It seeks to demonstrate and promote a new technologically and economically valid food-waste transformation process based on improved collection, separation and valorisation of fractions. The project will define new strategies for the optimisation of collection and reception procedures for food waste, to be implemented at waste generation points. This will include influencing behavioural change and political will towards greater environmental responsibility amongst stakeholders – including food waste generators and regulators. The project then aims to demonstrate, optimise and promote an innovative technology for processing packed and unpacked food waste. This de-packaging and post-treatment technology aims to perfectly separate organic and inorganic fractions. The project will also focus on identifying means of efficiently re-using and recycling separated fractions and reducing the amount of this type of waste being sent to landfill. Finally, the project will work to comply with clean and efficient energy use and with carbon-neutral and water efficiency concepts. Achieving all these aspects will require innovative equipment designs, including the study and generation of new knowledge and integration of specific technologies. The whole process will be integrated within one demonstration experience at local level in Asturias with Mercasturias, which manages all food waste generated by enterprises located at their facilities. Expected results: The project expects to demonstrate that an innovate food-waste collection, de-packaging and post-treatment process can help achieve a 15% reduction in food waste sent to landfill in five-to-10 years. Specific expected results include: Optimisation of the procedures of collection and reception of food waste; Successful demonstration of a de-packaging and post-treatment technology for packed and non-packed food waste able to treat up to 2 tonnes/hr; A 2 500 tonne-reduction in the amount of food waste sent to landfill during the project lifetime; An associated reduction in CO2 emissions of 15 000 tonnes (based on an estimate of 6 tonnes of CO2 released for every tonne of food sent to landfill); A saving of €30 000 in waste management costs compared with landfill disposal; Clean (less than 0.3% contaminants) organic and inorganic separated fractions; Valorisation of the separated fractions; A reduction of 2 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions for every tonne of plastic not incinerated; and The promotion of improved compliance with EU Directives and of possibilities for stricter regulation on food waste management/landfilling.