The Dorset company purchased a new chipper from German firm Haas and a colouring facility from US firm Becker-Underwood, and expects to make back the money invested within three years.
The machines will take a mixture of hard and soft wood that mainly comes from tree surgeons, screen it to remove other substances and then chip it before colouring.
 Joseph Coogan of Compton Acres and Terri Lewis of Eco Composting laying some of the new ColourChip in the Italian garden |
The product, called ColourChip, is available in three colours – red, Nordic green and Mediterranean gold – using natural pigment rather than chemical dye. Eco produces about 70 cubic metres a week, used in low-maintenance gardens, parks, industrial estates, pathways, children's play areas and urban planters.
Eco Composting's Denise Ewbank explained: “ColourChip is safe, clean and easy to lay and adds instant interest to gardens and public areas.”
Ex-works the ColourChip product trades at 26 per cubic metre plus VAT. Eco also delivers locally at a price of 54 per cubic metre including delivery. The ColourChip will also be available from garden centres, sold in 80 litre bags.
Eco Composting have already secured their first major contract, providing 100 cubic metres for local tourist attraction Compton Acres, a newly-refurbished Italian garden open to the public.
Compost
The new product is a move away from the company's core product, a quality compost made from recycled soil, timber and green waste. Eco Composting takes in about 35,000 tonnes of material a year at its 12-acre site, producing about 55,000 cubic metres of compost.
At about 9 per cubic metre, this is sold to quality, high margin markets, mostly to landscapers, with about 10% sold in bags to the public.
Ms Ewbank said: “We've re-written our mission statement – we had aimed to make Eco a leader in composting, but now we've decided we're here to provide sustainable resource management for the whole of the local community.”
The company is also in talks with Dorset county council about the possibility of running an in-vessel composting facility to treat household waste. It is thought the facility might be up and running in six months' time, and would initially process 8,000 – 9,000 tonnes of material a year.
“If it is successful, we might also work with some of the unitary authorities in the area – like Bournemouth and Poole. But we'll be keeping the in-vessel operation quite separate from our main composting operation to ensure the high quality.”
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