Within three years, the compost industry could supply 30% of the retail growing media products made in England, said the report, Compost and growing media manufacturing in the UK, opportunities for the use of composted materials. WRAP commented: “This rapid expansion will be achieved through both increased capacity of existing facilities and the introduction of new facilities”. The organisation hopes that its recently announced capital investment grant for composting will encourage this expansion.
According to WRAP, 68,000 cubic metres of compost is sold to UK growing media manufacturers each year, but UK composters could produce as much as 275,000 cubic metres of quality product in two to three years, a four-fold increase.
But using more compost in growing media would only make economic sense if the “geographical distribution of the two industries” was addressed, the report said. Liz Morrish, WRAP materials support officer, said: “This report has highlighted the opportunity provided by the co-location of composting and growing media production facilities.
“By providing information and contact details of organisations in both industries, this work will enable the compost production industry and the growing media manufacturing sector to work more closely together to plan their future investment in terms of both supply and production.”
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