European Compost Network
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBochum, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
European Compost Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- European Compost Network
- Legal name
- European Compost Network ECN e.V.
- Website
- https://compostnetwork.info
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
European Compost Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bio-waste Recycling and Composting Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Organics Contamination Auditing, Education & Compliance Services (BPALAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste) (BPABALAC), Compost & Soil Amendment Product Manufacturing/Blending (Value-Added Organics) (BPALAEAH), Organics Facility Development & Operations Services (Design/Build, O&M, Permitting) (EUAIAEAJ)
Keywords
Where European Compost Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bochum
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
European Compost Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to organizations and individuals interested in promoting high quality management in biological treatment of waste. Fee schedule available for download.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
European Compost Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
European Compost Network is a European non-profit membership association that promotes sustainable organic resource recycling through composting, anaerobic digestion and other biological treatment processes. Its core deliverable is the ECN-QAS (European Quality Assurance Scheme for Compost and Digestate), a pan-European quality framework setting harmonised requirements for national certification bodies and product quality criteria for compost and digestate. ECN also delivers EU-funded research projects, an E-Bulletin newsletter, country and status reports, and policy advocacy for its 66 member organisations across 27 countries.
Product overview
European Compost Network (ECN) is a European non-profit membership organization, not a software product company. Its offerings consist of the ECN-QAS (European Quality Assurance Scheme for Compost and Digestate) as its primary quality assurance framework, supplemented by EU-funded research projects (LIFE BIOBEST, CORE, BRIT-EU, FertiCovery), regular E-Bulletins/newsletters, and publications including status reports and guidance manuals. The organization also hosts the International Compost Alliance as a global partnership initiative.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ECN-QAS: European Quality Assurance Scheme for Compost and Digestate - a pan-European quality assurance scheme setting requirements for national quality assurance organisations, process management and compost and digestate quality criteria.
Products and services
- ECN-QAS (European Quality Assurance Scheme for Compost and Digestate) A pan-European quality assurance scheme that sets harmonised requirements for national certification bodies and quality criteria for recycled materials from organic resources (compost and digestate). It facilitates free cross-border movement of composts and digestate within the EU and is used by national bio-waste organisations and operating plants across Europe.
- ECN-QAS Quality Manual Background information and standardised documentation for the European Quality Assurance Scheme for compost and digestate, used by national certification bodies and quality assurance organisations implementing ECN-QAS.
- ECN Status Report (Bio-waste Data Report) Annual data reports on European bio-waste management, including collection, treatment, and market data across European countries, used by member organisations, researchers, EU institutions and policymakers.
- E-Bulletin Newsletter Regular digital newsletter providing ECN news, updates, fact sheets, reports and policy briefs to members and subscribers across the European bio-waste sector.
- EU LIFE BIOBEST Project EU LIFE-funded project identifying and validating best practices and management instruments along the entire biowaste management chain, for use by EU policymakers, Member State authorities and the bio-waste sector.
- EU Interreg CORE Project EU Interreg Europe project aimed at rural low-density territories to spread composting of biowaste, with ECN as advisory partner responsible for communication work.
- BRIT-EU Project BMBF/DATIpilot-funded project developing an integrated information and management tool for analysing the potential of biowaste in the European Union, with ECN as project partner.
- FertiCovery Project Horizon Europe-funded project analysing best available technologies for recycling fertilisers from secondary raw materials, with ECN as project partner advising policymakers on alternative fertilising products.
Companies that use European Compost Network
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
European Compost Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
European Compost Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- International Compost AlliancecoreGlobal voluntary partnership formed by compost organisations from around the world to advance awareness and understanding of compost benefits. ECN is a founding member and represented by Stefanie Siebert. The Alliance pools expertise to maximise organic waste recycling and advance certified high-quality compost production.
- ORBIT AssociationcoreWorldwide technical-scientific network promoting recovery of organic waste and environmental biotechnology. Merged with ECN in 2010 to form European Compost Network ECN e.V.
- ISWA - International Solid Waste AssociationmajorWorking Group on Biological Treatment of Waste under ISWA. Collaboration on bio-waste management surveys and data collection. ISWA represented in International Compost Alliance.
- Fundació ENTmajorProject partner in EU Life BIOBEST project. Leads the consortium and is responsible for project coordination.
- Zero Waste EuropemajorProject partner in EU Life BIOBEST project. Contributes to communication and policy aspects of the project on best biowaste recycling practices.
- ACR+majorAssociation of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management. Project partner in EU Life BIOBEST project.
- Consorzio Italiano Compostatori (CIC)majorItalian Composting and Biogas Association. Project partner in EU Life BIOBEST project. Part of International Compost Alliance and co-leads SOS Initiative.
- Interreg Europe CORE ConsortiummajorEU Interreg project 'Composting in Rural Ecosystems'. ECN serves as advisory partner responsible for communication work. Project runs 01/03/2023 – 28/02/2027.
- RSUSA - Waste Management Castilla La ManchamajorLead partner of the CORE consortium. Project focused on spreading composting practices in rural low-density territories.
- Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)majorProject partner in BRIT-EU project 'Integrated information and management tool for analysing the potential of biowaste in the European Union'. Project funded by BMBF Germany, runs December 2024 to May 2026.
- BTG Biomass Technology GroupcoreConsortium coordinator of FertiCovery project. Analyses best available technologies for recycling fertilisers from secondary raw materials. Project funded by Horizon Europe.
- Fundación CARTIFmajorProject partner in FertiCovery project. Contributes to analysis of nutrient recovery and bio-based fertiliser technologies.
- European Biogas AssociationmajorProject partner in FertiCovery project. Contributes expertise on anaerobic digestion and biogas aspects.
- Greenovate ! EuropemajorProject partner in FertiCovery project. Supports dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities.
- European Environmental Bureaus (EEB)majorECN is an affiliate member of the European Environmental Bureau, Europe's largest network of environmental NGOs.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
European Compost Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ISWA - International Solid Waste Association: Global solid waste management association with a Working Group on Biological Treatment co-led with ECN; broader in scope (all waste streams) and works alongside ECN via the International Compost Alliance.
- European Environmental Bureau (EEB): Europe's largest network of environmental NGOs; ECN is an affiliate member and engages with EEB's broader environmental advocacy, providing scale and reach beyond ECN's bio-waste focus.
Direct peers
- ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management): Brussels-based association of public authorities for sustainable resource management; project partner in LIFE BIOBEST with highly comparable advocacy and EU policy profile.
- European Biogas Association: European industry association promoting biogas and anaerobic digestion; complementary to ECN's bio-waste remit, FertiCovery project partner, and a direct counterpart in EU policy advocacy.
- Fundació ENT: Barcelona-based environmental think tank leading the EU Life BIOBEST project consortium; closely comparable niche think-tank operating model focused on waste prevention and circular economy.
- Zero Waste Europe: Brussels-based non-profit advocacy network promoting zero-waste and circular-economy policies at EU level; project partner in EU Life BIOBEST with ECN and an exact comparator in mission and operating model.
- BGK (German Quality Assurance Organisation for Compost): ECN member and Germany's national compost quality assurance organisation; runs the Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost system that directly competes with ECN-QAS at member-state level.
- CIC - Consorzio Italiano Compostatori: Italian composting and biogas consortium; ECN member and board represented, co-leads the SOS Initiative, and operates a national QA scheme that mirrors ECN's function in Italy.
Emerging players
- REsourceEU: European platform advancing resource-efficient and circular economy policies; emerging peer with overlapping EU advocacy work and similar Brussels policy engagement focus.
Others
- Bio-Based Industries Consortium (BIC): Private-sector bio-based industries consortium partnering with the EU on bioeconomy programmes; adjacent rather than directly competing, but an influential Brussels policy counterpart in the circular bioeconomy space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
European Compost Network social profiles
Digital presenceEuropean Compost Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
European Compost Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
European Compost Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
European Compost Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about European Compost Network
What does European Compost Network do?
European Compost Network is a European non-profit membership association that promotes sustainable organic resource recycling through composting, anaerobic digestion and other biological treatment processes. Its core deliverable is the ECN-QAS (European Quality Assurance Scheme for Compost and Digestate), a pan-European quality framework setting harmonised requirements for national certification bodies and product quality criteria for compost and digestate. ECN also delivers EU-funded research projects, an E-Bulletin newsletter, country and status reports, and policy advocacy for its 66 member organisations across 27 countries.
Is European Compost Network a public or private company?
European Compost Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was European Compost Network founded?
European Compost Network was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is European Compost Network based?
European Compost Network is headquartered in Bochum, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does European Compost Network make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Fees.
Who are European Compost Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ISWA - International Solid Waste Association and European Environmental Bureau (EEB). Direct peers are ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management), European Biogas Association, Fundació ENT, Zero Waste Europe, BGK (German Quality Assurance Organisation for Compost) and CIC - Consorzio Italiano Compostatori. REsourceEU is listed as an emerging player. Bio-Based Industries Consortium (BIC) is listed as an others.
Does European Compost Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for European Compost Network.
What industry is European Compost Network in?
European Compost Network's product category is Bio-waste Recycling and Composting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAEAJ, Organics Contamination Auditing, Education & Compliance Services, with a secondary code of BPABALAC, Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste). Its NAICS code is 9241 and its SIC code is 8600.