Composting Association calls for policy changes

The industry cannot move forward without the support of the government.

 
Jane Gilbert, Composting Association

The organisation, which launched its manifesto last week at its annual general meeting in Telford, has also urged Whitehall waste chiefs to develop a biowaste strategy and to speed up the planning process for composting facilities.

Commenting on the manifesto, the Association's chief executive Jane Gilbert said government decisions were key to the composting industry's future.

She explained: “The composting industry is extremely healthy at the moment. There is public and private support, the industry is innovative and passionate about what it does and there is a real desire for it to build on current successes and to move to the next level.

“However, the industry cannot move forward without the support of the government. Without the support of the government, the industry will not realise the potential that we all know exists within it. We are calling, in the strongest possible terms, for the government to prove its commitment to making this country environmentally sustainable and to support the future development of the composting industry,” she added.

The Association wants a reduced rate of landfill tax for treated residual waste – such as the output of mechanical biological treatment – to reflect its reduced methane generating potential in landfill.

Planning permission for composting facilities is often delayed by public resistance and to address this, the Association has suggested that government should establish a task force “to review current policies and practices and by making clear recommendations regarding a delivery timetable to establish new infrastructure”.

It also recommends that government provides clarity about compost use in soil management plans and states that policies which are aimed at tackling the adverse effects of climate change “should incorporate a cohesive biowaste management strategy alongside emissions targets, taxation, renewable energy and transport policies.”

Clarity

The manifesto focuses on three key areas: supporting infrastructure, managing residual waste and supporting sustainable agriculture.

When it comes to agriculture, the document states policy drivers should be established to provide a coherent link between bio-resource and soil management practices.

Also, to help improve public knowledge and understanding about composting, the manifesto suggests that government should “establish a waste planning education programme to improve knowledge and understanding by elected members and local residents”.