How to produce and sell compost
Setting up composting facilities for dealing with food and green waste and how it can benefit your business.
Organic waste is waste material that usually comes from plant or animal sources, such as garden waste, food waste and sewage sludge. If your business handles other people's waste, you could look into opportunities to compost organic waste. This will reduce the cost of sending waste for disposal and enable you to generate extra revenue by selling the compost you produce.
If you produce organic waste, for example on a farm, you may be able to use composting to manage your waste.
Organic waste can be composted in a range of facilities from small- to large-scale. Alternatively, if you don't want or need your own facilities you could work with another organisation that can handle your organic waste.
This guide provides an overview of how to set up composting in your business. It outlines the legislation your business must comply with, different composting techniques, available funding and how you can market your compost.
Advantages and disadvantages of composting methods
The benefits to your business of using different types of composting methods to deal with your organic waste.
Composting is a recognised and sustainable way to break down organic waste into a material that can be reused in a wide range of industries. There are different methods to carry out composting. You should choose a method that is suitable for the type and quantity of waste you will be handling.
Benefits of in-vessel composting
In-vessel composting (IVC) treats food and garden waste in an enclosed vessel where precise temperature control can be maintained. Under the Animal By-Products (ABP) Regulations, food waste containing animal by-products must be treated using an approved IVC system.
Approved in-vessel composting systems have three stages:
- initial processing and treatment in an enclosed vessel (or 'barrier')
- treatment in a second barrier to ensure it reaches the correct temperature
- maturation
Oxygen and moisture levels should be monitored carefully to make sure that the compost produced is fully sanitised and stable.
Catering waste which is generated, composted and used all on the same premises is exempt from the ABP Regulations. Meat-excluded food waste is not exempt, but may be treated in a simpler, single-barrier system.
Benefits of thermophilic aerobic digestion
Thermophilic aerobic digestion (TAD) composting allows organic waste to be treated in liquid slurry or in a semi-solid form. Often used to treat sewage sludges in the wastewater industry, the TAD method is also beginning to be used to treat some food waste.
The feedstock is placed in a digester and air is forced through to encourage aerobic microbes to multiply. The TAD process usually takes between two and five days to complete. The resulting compost is dried to produce a bio-fertiliser.
Benefits of open-air composting
The open windrow composting system is used to process garden waste - such as grass cuttings, prunings and leaves. It is important to understand that this type of composting can't be used to process catering or animal wastes under the ABP Regulations.
In an open windrow system, the feedstock is shredded and placed on a non-permeable surface. The materials should be turned on a regular basis, taking up to 16 weeks. The compost that is produced must then be graded and screened to remove any remaining contaminants.
The compost produced can be used in a wide range of applications, from domestic gardens to commercial agriculture, provided it meets certain quality standards.
Composting legislation and standards
The standards and environmental legislation that apply to your businesses when you are involved in composting.
There are a number of environmental regulations that apply to business composting activities.
Composting waste and animal by-products
If you make or store compost from waste materials you must have a waste management licence or an exemption from a waste management licence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) - see environmental permits and licences - an overview.
If your business handles animal by-products or catering waste you must meet the requirements of the Animal By-Products Regulations.
Composting and nuisance
If you carry out composting you must also be aware of your impact on the surrounding community. If your business causes odour or other nuisances, your district council's environmental health team could restrict your business activities. If your business has a waste management licence or exemption, it may have conditions that relate to nuisance that must be fully complied with.
91香蕉黄色视频ing compost
You must be a registered waste carrier or exempt from registration if you:
- transport waste you intend to compost
- transport compost made from waste, unless the compost is classed as no longer being waste under the Quality Protocol
If you only transport waste produced by your own business for composting, you don't need to register as a waste carrier.
Quality standards for compost
The Quality Protocol for Compost (QPC) was developed by NIEA and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) in consultation with key industry stakeholders such as the Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR). The protocol incorporates the PAS 100 specification for composted materials. If your business produces compost that meets the requirements of the QPC, you will not need to comply with waste controls, such as using a registered waste carrier to transport it.
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Marketing your compost
Marketing advice, knowledge and practical steps to market your compost products to local and national customers.
If you plan to sell the compost you produce, you should think carefully about where and how you're going to market and sell your products. For instance, you should decide whether you want to sell compost from your own premises or through a third-party supplier - see how to reach your customers effectively.
If you plan to sell compost yourself, consider key issues such as:
- legislation and standards that you must comply with
- the price that you should charge for your product
- how you will advertise your products, for example using on-site notices and adverts in the local press
- finding and keeping key customers
Composting market information
If you plan to make the sale of compost a significant part of your business, you should research and stay up to date with the market for organic materials.
Invest Northern Ireland provides a market information service to local businesses, including market research, company databases, worldwide business directories and legislative information - .