That is the conclusion of a comparison report by the Waste and Resources Action Programme of international composting standards.
It said that political support was the decisive factor in creating the right framework for a flourishing industry.
Biowaste treatment in the UK would accordingly benefit from being placed on a statutory footing, at least with regard to precautions, it said.
WRAP found that legislation that requires the source separation or organic waste, and which either bans of heavily taxes its use in landfills, has made collection and composting of biowaste cost effective in a number of countries, including Austria, Germany and The Netherlands.
Conversely, low waste taxes and lack of funding for waste management might not only delay the development of a composting market, but could even damage it through the spread of low quality products which damaged its reputation.
WRAP’s special projects manager Anne Riding said the study would help the organisation's work on the development of national composting standards.
Click here for the study report
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