Courtesy : orgprints.org

Composting case study

Garden waste delivered by the public to a recycling centre is stockpiled,
shredded and delivered to the on-farm composting site. The material is
forced, together with aeration pipes into 60 metre long EcoPods using
specialist machinery. The temperatures achieved during the composting
process are fully monitored and controlled using a forced aeration system.
The composting site operates under a waste management licence
exemption and has temporary planning approval. Concerns raised about
the site include increased heavy traffic, leachate, noise nuisance, birds
and vermin, odours, dust and bio-aerosols harmful to health. Local
residents remain intolerant of the composting system. The planning
authority acknowledge that current legislation can be a barrier to the
development of large scale composting operations.
Keywords: on-farm composting, organic production, legislation
INTRODUCTION
A one-year pilot study has been established to investigate the opportunities and
challenges of development of an on-farm composting system. The main
objectives are to
· highlight where planning and licensing regulations impinge on the
development of on-farm composting
· raise awareness of composting and educate a wide range of interest groups
· demonstrate how garden waste can be transformed into a useful product for
application to organic farmland.
Garden waste is delivered by the public to a recycling centre and placed in a
dedicated skip. The shredded material is stockpiled and shredded before delivery
to the composting site where it is forced into 60 metre long EcoPods together with
aeration pipes. The temperatures achieved during composting are fully monitored
and the forced aeration system adjusted to control heat generation and maintain
optimum conditions within the system.
LEGISLATION
The use of non-organic plant wastes on organic land is restricted under organic
farming standards (UKROFS 2001). Soil Association approval to apply the
compost to organic land was required. A waste management licence exemption to
compost biodegradable waste was granted by the Environment Agency. A
planning application for an on-farm composting site, previously used for storage
Archived at http://orgprints.org/8386
of brought in non-organic manure raised a number of issues. The County
Highways department required detail of size and weight of vehicles, average and
peak vehicle movements and type of plant and machinery used. The County
Acoustics Engineer was concerned about potential noise nuisance from plant and
machinery. The Environment Agency was concerned about ground water
contamination from leachate and the creation of bio-aerosols during handling and
turning of the compost. English Nature required assurance that the spread of
noxious weeds such as Japanese knotweed would not occur. Local residents
concerned about increased traffic, noise, dust, odour, vermin, unsightly rubbish
and fly tipping objected to the planning application. Actions taken to address
these issues included
· a water interest survey to ensure that there were no potable water supplies in
the vicinity lying down gradient of the site
· a noise impact assessment to compare day and night time background noise
levels with those when plant and machinery were operational
· transportation of only shredded material to the site to comply with noise level
restrictions, to reduce bulk and minimise traffic movements
· selection of a contained composting system
· restrict composting activity on the site to filling and emptying EcoPods
Temporary planning approval was granted for one year from the start of the
composting operation.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
The project has provided a valuable opportunity to disseminate information and
raise awareness about on-farm composting amongst farmers and other interest
groups. It also facilitated dialogue and information exchange with Local and
County planning and waste management teams who acknowledge that current
legislation is a barrier to the development of composting operations. Local
residents are intolerant of the composting system even though it is less disruptive
than many unrestricted farm activities. In this particular on-farm situation there
was no alternative to a contained composting system. If this becomes
commonplace, the costs involved might prevent farmer involvement in
composting and diminish the role of agriculture in reducing landfill of
biodegradable waste in the UK. Nevertheless, Duchy College and Kerrier District
Council are committed to continue development of on-farm composting and
educational input.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project is funded by Kerrier District Council and County Environmental Trust Ltd using funding
from County Environmental Services Ltd under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme