Background Levels of waste, and particularly household waste, generated in Europe are increasing. It is therefore a matter of urgency to introduce processes that make maximum use of waste and avoid it being sent to landfill. The 6th EU Environment Action Programme (EAP) identified sustainable waste management as one of its four priorities and waste recycling as one of its seven key strategies. ORGANOM decided to build a methanisation plant to handle 90 000 tonnes/yr of household waste. The plant aims to use mechanical-biological treatment units to make the maximum use of organic matter as both soil improver and a source of energy. Projects for the organic processing of household waste - composting or methanisation - have always come up against the technical problem of the efficiency with which the waste can be sorted, in view of the diversity of the waste and the wide variations in composition. Neither mechanical sorting of household waste, nor systems relying on separation by householders, produce perfect results. Objectives The LIFE project OVADE-Plus would set out to demonstrate a prototype system for the sorting of waste that can lead to the recycling of nearly 60% of all household waste. By sorting non-separated waste, it aimed to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill and maximise the amount that can be reused. The project would involve the advanced sorting of heavy waste. It seeked to separate the degradable organic matter (‘DOM’), destined for biological treatment by composting or methanisation from the non-organic degradable matter. It would use a combination of the latest technologies, including: a vibrating screen, juice extractors, a centrifuge, an inert material separator/cleaner, a curved sieve, a dehydrator and a rotating screen. The project would build on the work already undertaken to build the beneficiary’s tri-composting facility. The project would perfect the industrial-scale prototype equipment at this plant, testing and adjusting it to produce an optimised system for separation of household waste. Expected results: Through improved separation the project would: Treat 750 tonnes/yr of polluted organic matter through the methanisation plant to produce more biogas, clean inert material and compost; Divert 2 450 tonnes/yr of inert material - such as rubble, sediment, stones and glass - away from landfill, towards re-use or storage centres for non-dangerous waste; Reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 10%; and Increase the tonnage of reusable waste by 8%.Results The EC decided to terminate the project with anticipation in 2011.