Following a period of consultation on the WRAP-sponsored standard, the document's authors decided to change clauses relating to what are described as “sanitisation” conditions.
The final draft of the standard will recommend which temperatures and time periods are suitable for composting processes, rather than specifying conditions, as proposed originally. The recommended frequency for sampling and testing composts has also changed.
Emily Nichols, spokeswoman for the Composting Association, said: “The time and temperature details are very similar to those in the original document, but are provided as recommendations because this is a very active area of change at the moment and we wouldn't wish to limit change in the industry. This is slightly more flexible.”
The compost standard, known as Publicly Available Specification for Composted materials 100 (PAS 100), is a revised version of the Composting Association Standards for Composts. The new modifications follow a consultation on the draft which finished in August and “signpost” forthcoming changes in relevant legislation, Ms Nichols said.
One such law is the much-anticipated composting of animal by-products legislation, expected in December 2002. Ms Nichols said PAS 100 would reflect the findings of the risk assessment, published in June 2002, on which this is likely to be based.
The standard is currently being printed and is expected to become available from either WRAP or BSI in early November 2002.
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