Derbyshire-based Vital Earth has become the first composting facility to be awarded the Quality Compost Protocol Certification.

Vital Earth took 6 months to achieve PAS100 and Quality Protocol accreditation

The company produces around 15,000 tonnes of compost each year with particle sizes in the range 0-10 mm, and the certification means it can market the compost as a "product", rather than a "waste".

This means the finished compost does not need to be handled in accordance with waste legislation, making it a more marketable product.

To achieve the certification, Vital Earth worked for six months to satisfy a number of criteria set down in the Protocol published in March (see letsrecycle.com story) at its in-vessel composting facility in Ashbourne.

The facility processes 60,000 tonnes of source segregated catering and green waste a year in a 10-week process.

The protocol requires Vital Earth to meet the composting standard PAS100, which guides how compost is made and treated. The Protocol also requires Vital Earth to audit its composting process.

John Wakefield, technical director of Vital Earth, said: "In the past 12 months, more and more retailers and local authorities are specifying PAS100 as a requirement for the compost they buy. More companies are becoming PAS100 compliant to address this.

"Achieving PAS 100 and Quality Compost Protocol certification demonstrates to our customers that our process is well managed and our compost is of consistently high quality. The certification and ‘product' status are important selling points that will help us to realise our compost's full market potential."

The Protocol was developed by the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme, WRAP and the Environment Agency in consultation with the Composting Association, Environmental Services Association, Defra and other industry and regulatory stakeholders.

Progress

Dr Richard Swannell, director of retail and organics programmes at WRAP, said "We are delighted that industry has embraced the protocol and its self-regulation approach so quickly. Vital Earth deserves our congratulations for this historic first, and producing a legally recognised compost product".

The Composting Association has also said that since the Protocol's publication, 35 new applicants have joined its certification scheme, and the 138 composting processes on the scheme are together producing approximately 1.17 million tonnes of compost per annum.

Dr Jane Gilbert, chief executive of the Composting Association, said "Vital Earth has worked quickly to meet PAS 100 and Quality Compost Protocol requirements and achieve independent certification for their high quality product.

Its ‘product' status as well as its quality will give end users even more confidence in this valuable resource. The industry has a great deal of potential for further growth and we anticipate that achievements of this kind will prove valuable when differentiating quality composts from other materials and products on the market."

The Composting Association has also announced the appointment of two new board members at the Association's annual general meeting last week.

Julian Morgan, Finance and commercial director of Bioganix plc and Mike Orr, executive director of TEG Environmental plc, will take their places on the board for a period of three years.