Three-quarters of community composting organisations want to expand their activities, but are limited by a lack of space or suitable sites, a Defra survey has found.
It revealed that 20,765 tonnes of material were composted by the community sector in 2006. Of this, around half the composted material was used on-site or given away, with around half sold.
The survey estimated that the number of organisations involved in community composting “have increased around 10-fold since the late 1990s and quantities of material composted looks to have increased around 14-fold from approximately 1,500tpa to 21,000tpa.”
The Open University report predicted that commercial and municipal food waste would provide “significant opportunities” for the sector over the next few years.
Barriers
However, despite the desire and opportunities for the sector to expand, the survey revealed “numerous” barriers to this, from government red tape and lack of funding to a lack of space or suitable sites for expanded composting activities. It also said there were not enough volunteers available, and those that do volunteer have a limited amount of time available.
Key points from the survey
• Roughly half of organisations have been involved with composting for five years or less and half for five years or more
• One in-vessel system suitable for community composting projects has received ABPR approval and others are in the pipeline
• Most sites (89%) use an open composting process (windrows, bays or boxes).
• Around half the material composted is used on-site or given away and around half is sold.
Nick McAlister, coordinator at the Community Composting Network (CCN), which has been involved in the Defra project since last April, said: “Space has been a perennial problem for community composting schemes.
“It is all very well wanting to set up a scheme, but land isn't often readily available, particularly in urban areas. Sites have to be in the proximity of the community and there has to be vehicular access. To get all the conditions right isn't easy.”
Mr McAlister said that until now there had been little statistical information about the sector, as it was made up of small operations which haven't had a method to “quantify their operations”.
“At CCN we've had pooled data for years – to me it is of vital importance that we turn situation round and have clear picture of community composting activity,” he said.
Questionnaires
The Integrated Waste Systems group at the Open University sent out questionnaires to 193 members of the composting and recycling networks across England, Scotland and Wales and 132 of these responded.
Participation figures revealed that 84 organisations are involved in collecting, receiving and composting material at 121 sites. The majority of these are small scale, localised operations as proximity principle is at the heart of the sector.
Defra hopes the results of the project will benefit existing and new groups in designing, implementing and running schemes, and for demonstrating performance and added value, essential for development of the sector.
The next phase of the project will see the New Economics Foundation developing methodologies for the sector to use on a day to day basis to monitor their operations.
Register for free to comment