The biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from biological origin from agriculture, including vegetal and animal substances, from forestry and related industries, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the biodegradable fraction of waste, including industrial and municipal waste of biological origin.

EU, 2018c, Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast).

Source category: EU Legislation

Biomass is organic, non-fossil material of biological origin (plants and animals) used as a raw material for production of biofuels. It can be also called biomass feedstock or energy crops. It includes wide range of materials harvested from nature or biological portion of waste. The most typical example is wood (firewood, wood residues, wood waste, tree branches, stump, wood pellets, ...), which is the largest biomass energy source. Other examples of biomass are grass, bamboo, corn, sugarcane, animal waste, sewage sludge and algae. Using biomass as a fuel is deemed carbon neutral as carbon was trapped from the atmosphere during the biomass life cycle (its grow). There are several sustainability concerns related to the use of biomass as fuel.

Eurostat b, Glossary, accessed 28 November 2023

Source category: EC Technical Documents

Biomass is defined as biological material which is directly or indirectly produced by photosynthesis. Examples are wood and wood residues, energy crops, crop residues, and organic waste/residues from industry, agriculture, landscape management and households. The biomass is converted to solid, liquid or gaseous fuel which can be used to produce heat and/or electricity, or can be used as transport fuel.

IEA. 2020. Bioenergy, a sustainable solution. 

Source category: International Organisation

Organic material both above ground and below ground and both living and dead, e.g., trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, roots etc. Biomass includes the pool definition for above – and below –ground biomass.

FAO, 2007, Forests and Climate Change Working Paper. Definitional issues related to reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.

Source category: International Organisation

All organic matter that derives from the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy.

EEA, European Environment Agency, Glossary, accessed 28 November 2023

Source category: Agency Documents

Any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood wastes and residues, plants (including aquatics plants), grasses, residues, fibers, and animal wastes, municipal wastes, and other waste materials.

USITC, 2008, Industrial Biotechnology: Development and Adoption by the U.S. Chemical and Biofuels Industry. United States Industry and Trade Commission, July 2008. http://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub4020.pdf

Source category: Agency Documents

Living systems and collection of organic substances produced by living systems that are exploitable as materials, including recent post-mortem residues.

Vert, M., Y. Doi, et al. (IUPAC Polymer Division) 2012, 'Terminology for biorelated polymers and applications (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)', Pure Applied Chemistry 84 (2), pp. 377-410.

Source category: Scientific & Technical Literature

Material of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations and/or fossilized. Examples: (whole or parts of) plants, trees, algae, marine organisms, micro-organisms, animals, etc.

EN 16575:2014, European Committee for Standardisation, Technical Committee 411 (CEN TC/411) , Bio-based products – Vocabulary , Mandate M/492, August 2014.

Source category: Standards