HDRA, the UK’s largest organic membership organisation, has awarded SITA compost organic status. SITA is the first producer of waste derived compost to apply for and receive the HDRA symbol of approval, under its newly launched Standards for Organic Gardeners Products.
The award to is for compost from SITA's Lount and Kibworth facilities in Leicestershire. HDRA assessors audited the production of compost at SITA's facilities and SITA had to prove that its processes and product met HDRA standards.
SITA’s quality control system played a significant part in it achieving the organic status. The system, Management and Auditing System for Compost (MASC), was developed by SITA’s composting manager, Dr Stephen Wise, and includes a comprehensive audit trail showing where the initial material for composting came from and the SITA personnel involved in the process.
Dr Stephen Wise said: “This status has opened a whole new market to SITA for its waste derived compost. To be the first company in the UK to achieve this status confirms SITA’s real commitment to producing high quality compost and developing sustainable waste management practices such as composting.”
SITA’s composting facility at Lount is one of the largest purpose built sites in the UK and can treat around 25,000 tonnes of green waste a year. Green waste, collected in Leicestershire, is brought to the site where it is shredded and then formed into windrows. The windrows are turned mechanically once a week to keep them aerobic. After about 10 weeks the compost is ready for screening to produce the final product.
Subscribe for free