Free CIWM Torbay Seminar: Agricultural markets for
Bio-waste Products
(6 June 2008) This is a late posting that Enviros Consulting will be hosting a free seminar in the Information hub at CIWM 2008 in Torbay.
Event: CIWM 2008
Date: 10th June
Venue: Information Hub, South Green Marquee, Torbay
The CIWM Show combines a comprehensive exhibition covering waste, recycling and resource management and is organised by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).
It is expected that the 2008 will attract over 6,500 attendees, 350 exhibitors and 650 conference delegates from every industry sector. The exhibition offers both internal and external stand space plus slots at two live demonstration areas for exhibitors to display their products.
The 'Information Hub' is being run during CIWM 2008 and provides the opportunity for visitors to this year's conference and exhibition to keep up to date with the latest legislation and industry developments.
Enviros is running the following seminar of interest to the agricultural sector and composters:-
Tuesday 10th June 11:30am – Phil Wallace, Technical Director in Enviros' Waste ad Resource Management division, will be presenting on 'Agricultural markets for bio-waste products'.
Farmers are now more keen than ever to find sustainable sources of organic matter for their soils. With fertiliser prices rocketing, composts and digestates from source segregated biowastes can provide crop nutrients as well as help build up carbon in the soil. The drivers, regulations and constraints on the use of biowaste products in farming will be discussed in this seminar alongside the Quality Protocols, the web tool for agricultural applications and opportunities for compost product manipulation to maximise profitability and minimise environmental impacts.
Warning Over Anaerobic Digestion as Commercial Success
(26-11-2007) A former chairman of the Composting Association, Trelawney Dampney, has warned councils against "charging off" down the anaerobic digestion route before checking if the technology is "commercially sensible".
Mr Trelawney Dampney, managing director of Eco Composting Ltd in Poole, said analysis carried out by his firm had found that the technology - which processes organic waste to produce electricity and a soil fertilizer - was not economically viable.
He said: "Everyone is charging off down this route without looking at basic economics of it- we need to have a realty check to make sure it is commercially sensible."
The technology has gained in popularity following the publication of the English waste strategy which promoted AD to treat source segregated bio-waste.
ROCs
And it has also attracted attention because under renewable energy rules, from 2009 operators can have double the standard amount of renewable obligation certificates - known as ROCs - allocated to the process which accordingly gives a larger financial benefit.
However, Mr Dampney claimed that even with these concessions, his company's analysis found against AD technology.
He explained: "From an economic perspective, you would need treble or even quadruple ROCs to make the technology economically viable. Councils need to consider whether the income from the power generated, outweighs any extra capital costs you need to put into the plant? Our analysis show in the short term it is not cheaper than in-vessel composting."
Mr Dampney pointed to examples in Europe which appeared to show in-vessel composting was a better financial option.
He explained: "On the continent small anaerobic digestion plants get 3 or 4 times ROCs which makes it economically viable. The UK is only offering double ROCs.
"You are looking at having a £2 million pound AD site for a 20,000 tonne capacity site whereas an IVC is likely to be around £1 million." More...
Asda Pioneers Zero Waste to Landfill
(19-09-2006) Asda has stopped sending non-hazardous waste to landfill from its first site after signing up to a zero waste to landfill target by 2010.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com the supermarket giant revealed that the Dartford distribution centre in Kent is recycling and composting all of its material, "down to the chicken fat in the canteen."
The Dartford site is also currently being upgraded with an in-vessel composting facility, which should be operational in October 2006.
Now Asda expects to meet its target, which it launched in July, in under two years. It will also redesign all of its products over the next 18 months to reduce packaging volume by at least 10%.
Ian Bowles, Asda's corporate social responsibility manager, said: "We wanted to concentrate on boosting recycling and composting at one centre which we could replicate around the country. In Dartford it's going really well. We will now probably achieve our target by 2008."
As part of Asda's commitment to zero waste, the supermarket has invested £32 million in four recycling facilities at Lutterworth, Wakefield, Skelmersdale and Bedford.
This enables Asda's fleet of delivery trucks to collect cardboard and plastic packaging from the back of stores, which is baled and sent for reprocessing to Smurfit and J& A Young.
Food waste is sent for in-vessel composting, while photographic chemicals are collected to recover the precious metals contained in them, such as silver. Two million litres of waste oil fats are also sent by Asda for biodiesel production. More here.
Flame from Green Compost Container Kills Elderly Man
(3 April 2007) BRUSSELS - A spontaneous flame from a green box/compost container has cost the life of an 81-year-old man from the Flemish town of Hamme. It is possible that explosive gases had built up in the green box/compost container. The flame caught fire on the man's clothes, which then burned him.
"Next to the vegetables, fruit and garden waste, there were Pampers in the container. Maybe this had a reaction?" asks the daughter of the deceased Monday. "We cannot understand how it is possible. The green box/compost container was standing in the sun, but is that forbidden?" More here...
Home composting message taken to Worcestershire youth
Local TV personality James Strawbridge is getting behind the home composting campaign in which Worcestershire county council is encouraging younger homeowners to get involved in its home composting scheme, after research found 93% of those taking part in the scheme are over 36.
Officers are targeting those aged between 20 and 35, who could represent a fifth of the population, to persuade them that composting at home can be as fashionable as cooking or gardening has become. The campaign is being endorsed by TV presenter James Strawbridge, from the "It's Not Easy Being Green" show.
More news at www.letsrecycle.com .
Quality Protocol Published for Composting Industry
(15.03.07) The Quality Protocol for Compost was published today, promising to cut red tape for composting companies and help them market their compost as a quality product.
Developed by the Environment Agency and the Waste and Resources Action Programme, it has also had input from the Composting Association and the National Farmers Union.
The Protocol aims to give certainty for the marketplace that compost is a valuable resource, rather than a "waste".
It will see composters that process organic waste to the PAS100 industry standard able to classify their material as a "product", rather than a "waste".
It means they will be able to store, manage and sell their compost without it being governed by waste regulations, and should boost sales to higher end markets including landscaping, agriculture and horticulture.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Dr Nina Sweet, part of the waste regulation policy team at the Environment Agency said:
"It is all about increasing choice for composters. The chief benefit of the Protocol is the level of certainty it will provide for the marketplace that the material will no longer be a waste. It will hopefully allow the development of the industry to go forward and the industry has said very strongly that it wants this opportunity."
Over 100 composters are already PAS100-accredited, and many others are in the process of seeking accreditation. Those already accredited will need to check the acceptable list of inputs in the Protocol to ensure they are composting only those input types allowed.
More at the letsrecycle web site.
Organics - ADAS/WRAP Workshops on Use of Composted Green Waste
On behalf of WRAP, ADAS and SAC are running a series of half-day workshops for crop advisers and technical managers on the use of composted green waste for field crops. The workshops will provide information on the potential benefits from the use of compost as either soil improver or as a surface mulch, as well as discussing relevant issues such as regulations and compliance with agri-environment schemes and customer requirements. Find out more about the workshops
Consultation May Result in Home Composting Rates Being Included in Targets (10.11.06)
A consultation is expected soon on a model that should help councils count home composting to their landfill diversion targets. More...
Composting site plan is approved (28.09.06)
The current tip at Cilgwyn is due to close in 2008.
A new composting facility in Gwynedd to process kitchen and garden waste has been approved by the council.
Protestors fear developing the site for composting is the first step to the site being used for general waste.
The site at Clynnog Fawr, between Pwllheli and Caernarfon was used as a waste tip in the past.
Gwynedd Council need to find an alternate location for waste because the present tip at Cilgwyn near Caernarfon will close in 2008.
Earlier on Monday, a protest at the Clynnog site coincided with a site visit by local councillors in advance of a planning committee meeting in Pwllheli.
Owain Williams, Gwynedd councillor said: "The fear is that building a compost unit will open the door to future land filling in the area".
The Dwyfor area planning committee approved plans for a composting facility at Llwyn Isaf, Clynnog Fawr. More here...
Cost benefits for separate food and green waste collections
(28.09.06)
Speakers at a Composting Association seminar have championed the financial benefits of collecting food waste and garden waste separately.
Addressing a London audience on Wednesday, experts suggested a major increase in food waste collections would be needed to meet the requirements of the government's Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.
The scheme forces councils to cut the amount of biodegradable waste they send to landfill each year, under the threat of financial penalties.
Speakers at the event in Croydon on Tuesday said food waste now makes up the largest fraction of the household waste stream in many areas.
Visit Let's Recycle for the full News Item.
Advanced composting firm close to £25m finance deal
(11 August 2006)
"Advanced composting" company New Earth Solutions is well on its way to gaining a £25 million investment from a German bank to aid its expansion plans.
Dorset-based New Earth hope the £25 million finance package from NORD/LB will enable the company to build 10 to 15 in-vessel composting plants in the next five years and speed up its delivery on Local Authority contracts.
We envisage lots of facility activity in the next five years and build our business up to double figures with 10 to 15 50,000-tonne facilities.
- Peter Mills, New Earth Solutions The company hopes to conclude the deal with NORD/LB in the next 10 weeks
Peter Mills from New Earth Solutions said: "We are very excited - we envisage the investment to be significant for New Earth. If the money is awarded we will be able to undergo some major developments to our infrastructure and aid recycling and landfill diversion targets." More here ...
UK composter claims answer to hot weather (10 August 2006)
A waste management company in West Sussex claims to have found the solution to composting in hot weather.
For the last 18 months, Chichester-based Woodhorn Group Ltd has been working with composting technology firm GOC Technologies using a special process that adds nutrients to organic waste being treated. The company said GOC's "506" system keeps the composting process moist without having to resort to the use of extra water in hot weather. More here.
Goldman Sachs invests in Bedminster International (6 June 2006)
Investment Bank funding will facilitate expansion of Irish Waste-To-Energy Biotechnology Company:
Bedminster International, the waste-to-energy biotechnology company, today announced that Goldman Sachs, the global investment banking firm, has made an initial equity investment in the business of $10 million.
The patented Bedminster technology uses a biological process to convert organic material to a high quality fossil fuel substitute for use in the production of renewable energy. The bulk of typical municipal waste throughout the world is biodegradable and the Bedminster technology extracts the biodegradable fraction from waste streams and converts in into biofuel. More ...
SITA Introduces Innovative new composting scheme in North Lincolnshire (1 April 2006)
Green-fingered householders and businesses across North Lincolnshire are soon going to be able to get their hands on SITA's Organo Brand soil improver made from green waste from local back gardens and brown compost bins across the county.
This is thanks to an innovative new scheme being introduced by waste management company SITA UK, which manages North Lincolnshire's Household Recycling Centres (HRC's).
From 3rd February 2006, all eight HRC's across the county will start selling the special composted soil improver, known as Organo, as well as maintaining their more traditional role of waste management. More...
Consultation on guidelines for using compost in crop production (13 November 2005)
WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) has commissioned Enviros Consulting to produce a set of draft guidelines on the use of compost - derived from source-segregated organic municipal wastes - in agriculture and field horticulture.
The development of the draft has been guided by early consultations with Defra, the Environment Agency and key stakeholders from the agricultural sector. A wider industry consultation is now being carried out and WRAP is inviting all interested parties to contribute their views.
The consultation process is being managed by Enviros Consulting and will be open from the 21st February to the 17th March.
"These guidelines will provide practical assistance on the effective use of compost in agriculture, which currently absorbs approximately 40% of the UK's total production" - said Louise Hollingworth, Organics Technical Manager for WRAP. "With the projected increases in composting over the next 5 to 10 years, the volume of compost available for use within farming will also increase significantly."
The proposed guidelines are aimed primarily at agronomists, regulators and advisers to the agricultural industry, to provide them with information about using compost effectively. Building on BSI PAS100: 2005, they will define the characteristics of compost suitable for use in a range of agricultural applications and provide information on maximising the benefits of compost in soil management as an integral part of Cross Compliance and agri-environmental schemes.
Copies of the consultation documents can be obtained from Enviros on e-mail - compostguide@enviros.com - or by contacting Steve Horrax - Tel: +353 (0)161 874 3628.
Conversion of a Sewage Works into a Composting Plant
(13 November 2005)
A sewage treatment works standing idle since 2003 has been converted by Scottish Water Waste Services {SWWS) into a composting plant, by the Enviros Compost Team. It might seem an unlikely transformation, but the Deerdykes Composting Plant, which has been taking green waste from three local authorities, has attracted a grant of approximately £600,000 from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) Organics Capital Support Programme through funding provided by the Scottish Executive and has entered its second six months of operation. It has already produced compost - the first 500 tonnes of which have been delivered to a local land restoration scheme. More ...
Compost at Work Autumn 2005 – WRAP Training Events Programme (31 August 2005)
The programme for new Autumn series of Compost at Work training events is now available. Again this Autumn WRAP will provide the opportunity to learn more about the range of benefits composted materials can offer in different applications and to see composted products in use at a range of sites, hear experiences from the perspective of representatives from the site, ask questions and meet others in the sector.
Events will again be run at BSI PAS 100 certified compost producers, which proved very popular in the Spring series. This is your chance to see a quality composting process in action, question the producers and gain the reassurance that a certified product provides. Visit the WRAP web site for more ...
Ammonia Discharges from Open Air (Windrow) Composting near SSSIs cited as possible future cause ecological damage (29 August 2005)
Ammonia from open air composting might damage SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) according to a study completed for Dorset Waste Planning Authority. The study was completed after concerns were expressed by English Nature.
The problem for Dorset is that a number of planned windrow and in-vessel composting plants, plus MBT (Mechanical Biological Treatment) and RDF (refuse Derived Fuel) Plants, are planned in the county at sites adjacent to or within heathland.
The study shows that there is reason to be concerned that the additional nutrient would possibly encourage rank growth of grasses and weeds, and that the heathland habitat close to these facilities would be lost over a period of many years, as a result.
The report recommends that the preferred technology for removing the ammonia before it is discharged, would be for all composting to be carried out in-vessel (presumably during initial sanitisation stage), with biofiltration and acid scrubbing before the extracted air is discharged.
Whilst these technologies are available, cost has been cited as a major concern.
Enviros Voted Top Waste Management Consultant (20 August 2005)
The entrants to the 2005 Consultants' Survey in Environment Business Magazine have placed Enviros in top slot for our 'waste management' expertise. We quote:
…..'as an aggregate of both customers and consultants, Enviros gets a far more consistent vote as top consultancy in this field.'
The 2005 www.edie.net and Environment Business, Environmental Consultancy Survey has now been completed with another overwhelming response from 1557 individuals, 1194 (77%) of whom are edie users and 954 (61%) are readers of Environment Business.
Unlike other surveys, this survey examines the views, opinions and expertise of both the consultancy providers themselves and the end users of those consultancies. We feel that this adds value as it shows what customers think about the consultancy providers and the state of the market, rather than an "official" line from one side or the other.
Read more at Consultancy Survey 2005: Who is top of the boffins?
Source: www.edie.net
Carmarthenshire secures £800,000 for composting upgrades (02.08.05)
A partnership of organisations in Carmarthenshire has secured nearly £800,000 funding to set up a new food and garden composting service.
The Carmarthenshire SRS Partnership Project includes the county council and local community groups as partners. The project is funded by European Structural Funds and the Welsh Assembly Government and the funds come from the third round of the Strategic Recycling Scheme, a £15 million initiative.
The SRS fund is managed by Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and is a partnership between Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), Environment Agency Wales (EAW) and Cylch - Wales Community Recycling Network. More...
New in-vessel composting facility opens in Devon (27.07.05)
The first of a potential county-wide network of new in-vessel composting facilities has been opened at Heathfield in Devon.
The plant, which is the fifth facility to be built in the UK by Cambridge Recycling Services (CRS), has been built to animal by-product regulation standards and has the capacity to process over 20,000 tonnes per annum of organic waste. More...
First UK Composting Industry Code of Practice (7 June 2005)
The Composting Association has published the first Composting Industry Code of Practice (CICOP). Following six months of consultation with members and key stakeholders, the new Code has been widely welcomed by Ministers, regulators, civil servants and the composting industry. To view the full story and download a copy of the Code (350 Kb) visit the Compost Associations website.
UK Composting Industry Continues to Expand and Diversify (17 May 2005)
The amount of material being composted in the UK increased by 20% between 2001/2 and 2003/4 according to The Composting Association's latest survey of the composting industry. The report "State of Composting in the UK 2003/4" indicated that 1.97 million tonnes (Mt) of material was processed at 325 composting facilities. Even so the UK probably still needs another 300 compost facilities built to comply with targets. The report was supported by the Environment Agency and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). To view the full story and download a copy of the report (2.38 Mb) please visit the Compost Associations website.
EU Grant given to Lebanon for Solid Waste Management
(8 April 2005)
An EU €5.5 Million Euro grant has been made available to the Lebanese Ministry for Administrative Reform to help local municipalities with their Solid Waste Management practices.
The grant conditions are tied to the extent that any equipment purchased has to be from European origins. Local Agents will be a requirement for after sales service. Equipment to be provided includes shredders, balers, small front-end loader models, small to medium size street sweepers, compost bagging equipment, compost screening equipment and any other equipment that might be of help in managing MSW. For more information, British Companies may contact, the Trade & Investment Officer, British Embassy Beirut.
Research Published on the Costs and Benefits of Waste Management Options (2 December 2004)
This latest report presents the findings of a study conducted by Enviros Consulting in conjunction with Economics for the Environment Consultancy (EFTEC) to provide an assessment of the external costs and benefits to health and the environment of waste management options valued in monetary terms.
See: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/research/health/pdf/costbenefit-valuation.pdf
UK's "flawed" recycling targets will lead to European fines
(2 July 2004)
The UK will fail to meet the municipal waste diversion targets of the Landfill Directive because local authorities have been set the wrong targets, leading experts have warned.
A Resource Recovery Forum conference heard a week ago that recycling targets set for local authorities in the UK are "fundamentally flawed" because they are in percentage instead of weight-based form, and because they don't take account of the differences in local authority areas.
Go to www.letsrecycle.com's News Item to see the full story.
South East needs over 600 new waste sites by 2015 (14 April 2004)
The South East region needs an average of 57 new waste handling facilities every year for the next 11 years - over 600 by 2015 - if it is to keep up with demand. This was the conclusion of both the South East Regional Assembly and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) at the regional waste summit at Gatwick this week. This reportedly includes many composting sites.
Visit edie.net for the full article.
Wrap's New Organics Training Programme Announced (2 April 2004)
WRAP has recently announced the launch of a new training programme for the composting industry, as part of the government push to meet the UK's waste diversion targets.
Seven different courses have been developed to cover the key areas involved in successful compost production and organic waste management.
Australian Report Confirms that Organics Recycling Provides Major Benefit to the Environment (24 March 2004)
A life cycle assessment of windrow composting systems for recycling compostable organic materials in NSW has been produced for the Department of Environment and Conservation by the Recycled Organics Unit (ROU) at the University of New South Wales.
ROU states that the study is an international first to demonstrate what the authors describe as net environmental benefits of compost application. The LCA evaluates the full environmental benefits associated with processing, transport and application of recycled organic products to agricultural production systems.
Councils introducing kerbside organics collection services should find the new report very useful since it provides clear evidence of the environmental benefits of source-separated collection and composting of organics. The report can be downloaded from: www.resource.nsw.gov.au or www.recycledorganics.com/publications/report/lca/lca.htm
Have your say on the Planning Process: Take part in Planning Consultation by giving your experiences (10 March 2004)
A consultation paper has been issued by the Composting Association on the request of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as part of the review of PPG 10, and includes a form for previous applicants to describe their experiences of the Planning System. Download it here and complete the form.
Follow the links below for our earlier news items:
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