As concerns over Climate Change continue to grow, the management of a major resource, namely organic waste and residues, in the context of the carbon economy, has been selected as the focal point for ORBIT 2010. In global terms organic residues constitute the single largest waste stream. Our aspiration towards a “Recycling Society”, recently re-affirmed in the EU Waste Framework Directive, can never be achieved without the extensive and innovative recovery of organic resources. Moreover, deep understanding and smart management of the life-cycle of organic resources is essential for climate change mitigation.