The 1.5 million Integrated Composting Programme ran seven composting projects to analyse different aspects of the composting chain, including collection, composting facilities and potential end-markets for compost.
 The wheeled bin designed by Richard Rand includes vents and spacers to allow air to flow |
The project, which has been funded by the SITA Environmental Trust through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, begin in July 2003 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Reporting back its findings today, the project claimed a successful trial of a new bin system in 300 households in the London Borough of Bexley “could revolutionise the way green waste is collected at the kerbside”.
Researchers said that low participation and diversion rates in organic waste kerbside collection schemes was caused by factors including smells, detritus, flies, and maintaining the cleanliness of the bins.
Success
The ICP report said the system had proven to be a “great success” with up to 5.2kg/household/week of organic waste diverted from the residual waste stream.
The ICP project recruited designer Richard Rand to produce a new two-bin system that has an air-flow system that dries material to prevent odour and detritus. The system comprises a small kitchen bin with vents and spacers and an outside wheeled bin – also with vents and spacers. Material is placed in biodegradable paper sacks, and air can flow around it to dry the material.
”Each of the projects was set up from scratch, which means many lessons could be learned and the report provides detailed information about the costs and approach to setting up each of the schemes. “
– John Leaver, SITA Environmental Trust
The seven ICP projects included trials involving centralised shredding and on farm composting, in-vessel community composting, commercial in-vessel composting, organic waste collections at an airport, kerbside collections, container design and meadow creation.
John Leaver from SITA Trust said: “The ICP report is essential reading for anyone setting up or running a composting scheme. Each of the projects was set up from scratch, which means many lessons could be learned and the report provides detailed information about the costs and approach to setting up each of the schemes.”
Collections
Researchers said the most cost-effective collection system for organic waste from households through kerbside collection was found to be using compacting rear end loading vehicles with two person crews.
However, separating organic waste from retail outlets was found to be difficult because of the high turnover of staff. Researchers concluded that regular training was needed to reduce contamination of organic waste with other waste types.
Composting
Constructing a high quality compost site was shown to be possible in as little as eight months from outline proposal to completion, for a site consisting of a concrete pad, push-up walls and leachate management.
Setting up composting schemes on farms and using the product as a soil improver proved to be successful and this was demonstrated to be a large potential market for compost. A scheme in Gateshead demonstrated the procedures involved in establishing a composting scheme that meets BSI PAS100 quality standards for compost.
| Related links: |
End-markets
A scheme in Scotland in which local people deposited green waste at a council facility and received free bags of compost in return, proved there was a market for the 500 tonnes per annum produced, the report said. The scheme also demonstrated ways to encourage local community participation in recycling schemes.
A project demonstrating the benefits of compost use in the establishment of wildflower meadows proved that there was increased yields in the flower species sown and greater diversity in flower species overall where compost was applied.
Subscribe for free