That was the line of the Composting Association today after it revealed that record numbers of organisations have joined its certification scheme.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, the association's technical manager Emily Nichols said: “If every producer that complies with PAS 100 is also certified by the Composting Association, and they apply the logo, it would be easier to market the products in the retail sector.”
The Association's certification scheme, which is supported by the Waste & Resources Action Programme, has seen 13 new producers register in the last six months, taking the number of members to 34. This represents the biggest period of expansion since the accreditation scheme began at the end of 2002.
The scheme provides certification for the British Standards Insitution Publicly Available Specification for compost (BSI PAS 100). To gain the standard, a product must be free from weed seeds and pathogens, be of a high quality and suitable for use as a soil conditioner or mulch.
Those that have gained certification with the Composting Association include some major players such as Waste Recycling Group and Biffa Waste Services.
Biffa's composting development manager, David Morgan, believes the scheme holds a lot of weight. “We are using BSI PAS 100 to underscore our commitment to manufacturing high quality compost and as a marketing tool to increase the amount, and improve the quality of feedstock arriving on site,” he said.
Alternative standards
However, there are standards available for composters other than the PAS 100 and other certification schemes for compost products than that run by the Composting Association.
Many small companies have their own methods of testing their compost, while multi-national waste management company SITA has what it considers a comprehensive certification scheme for its own compost product – Apex.
SITA has criticised the BSI PAS 100, saying that while the Composting Association and WRAP are looking at developing the standard and adding more tests and specifications, at the moment the Apex standard is “more detailed”.
However, Ms Nichols said that the Apex standard is only used by SITA and the other companies that manage the Apex label for its own products, and explained: “The BSI PAS 100 sets the a baseline level which restricts the amount of contaminants and recommends that other compost characteristics are tested according to end use.”
The Composting Association said its new recruits meant that more than 60% of the UK's capacity for high quality compost is now produced through the scheme, accounting for 550,000 tonnes of green waste every year.
Part of the success of the scheme was because of the need for local authorities to reach recycling and composting targets. But Ms Nichols said that more research would be needed if there was to be a single “seal of approval” for compost products in the UK.
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