1 Introduction and organic waste situation

update 08/2010

The latest data for the UK organics recycling management industry (2008/9) show that the industry is continuing a sustained growth and is in a robust economic health. The industry is diverse and increasingly becoming still more diverse, in terms of business type, feedstock used, process technologies and products produced including product types, markets the products are used in and how they are distributed.

Source segregated organic waste
It is estimated that about 8.3 million tonnes per year of food and drink waste is generated by households in the UK.   WRAP funded research showed that around one third of the food we buy is thrown.
Increases in landfill tax and local authority targets for the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste from landfill appear to be driving the industry forward. Additional funding for local authorities, including through the private finance initiative, has led to a major increase in kerbside recycling facilities and new waste treatment facilities.
According to AfOR latest Survey of the UK Organics Recycling Industry 5.1 million tonnes of source segregated organic waste feedstock was recycled in the UK in 2008/09, an increase of 14% on 2007/08.

Of this total, about 4.34 million tonnes (85%) was municipal waste, with just under a half of this collected at civic amenity sites (recycling centres) and a further half collected through kerbside collections. The proportion of non municipal waste in 2008/09 has increased from 12% in 2007/08 to 15%.
Quantities of food waste inputs collected separately at the kerbside have more than doubled in the past year from 14,000 to 36,000 tonnes in 2008/09; on the other hand there has been a fall in commingled food and garden waste, possibly reflecting WRAP guidance towards the separate collection of these components.

759,000 tonnes (12% of the total) of the organic waste recycled was from non-municipal sources, of which just over a third was from landscaping / grounds maintenance, and a quarter was food waste from commercial or industrial origins.

Two-thirds of all sites in the UK are described as dedicated composting / biological treatment sites (organisations whose primary activity is compost production or biological treatment) - an increase of 13% on 2007/08 - and 15% as farm sites (individuals or organisations involved in farming, or linked to agricultural activity) - a decline of 10% over the same period.
In 2007/08 the organics recycling sector as a whole was dominated by a large number of medium sized sites, with 58% of sites processing between 10,000 and 50,000 input tonnes in 2008/09 – a similar proportion to 2007/08.
Overall, 91% of the source segregated waste input was recycled at the larger sites with throughputs in excess of 10,000 tonnes a year (65% of all sites). Only 3% of the total waste inputs were processed at smaller sites taking less than 5,000 tonnes a year (although these account for 21% of all individual sites).

The majority of source segregated waste (74%) was composted using open air mechanically turned windrows. This is slightly down on the 78% share found for 2007/08, possibly because more food waste was collected and recycled and, thus, sent to enclosed composting systems. A further 249,000 (5%) was composted through table composting (or block composting).
Around 17% (or 852,000 tonnes) of source segregated waste was composted using in-vessel composting (IVC) technology, which is an increase of 120,000 tonnes from 2007/08. A further 113,000 tonnes was processed through anaerobic digestion (AD), a very substantial increase on the 17,000 tonnes reported in 2007/08, although in itself still not a high fraction of the total source segregated waste processed. IVC and AD technologies now account for nearly 1 million tonnes of organics recycling – a significant proportion with steady underlying growth in share of the total.

The total quantity of organic waste products from source segregated feedstocks increased by 9% on the previous year: rising from 2.69 million tonnes in 2007/08 to 2.85 million tonnes in 2008/09.
Agriculture remained the largest end user for organic products (1.67 million tonnes or 58% of the total), an increase from 47% in 2007/08.  This is the most substantial change in end user category, and reinforces the long term trend for agricultural end use to have driven the sector for several years. The majority of agricultural end use in 2008/09 was on cereal or combinable crops.
Soil conditioners also accounted for the largest quantity of material containing food waste feedstocks (420,000 tonnes), with turf top dressings utilising about 41,000 tonnes of compost containing some food waste feedstocks.
Over half (55%) of the organic product was sold – 35% to end users and 20% to third parties. This is an increase of 6% on 2007/08, mainly attributable to the growth in sales to third parties rather than direct to end users. A fifth was distributed to end users at no charge and a quarter was used on site.

Mixed organic wastes
Mixed organic waste is mainly treated through processes such as Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT). The total quantity collected and processed in this way in the UK in 2008/09 is estimated at 629,000 tonnes, an increase on the 584,000 tonnes estimated for 2007/08.
The most prevalent processing technique was reported as aerobic IVC (88%) with 6% aerobic bio-drying.
The majority of the mixed waste output was reported to be used for land restoration (65%) or landfill restoration / daily cover (21%).

2. Legal framework for the organic waste stream and the compost production
LATS
Over the last few years European legislation has become the key driver for national and regional policy. The targets for diverting biodegradable municipal waste from landfill set out in the European Landfill Directive (EC/31/1999) have led to significant developments. The Waste and Emissions Trading (WET) Act 2003 provides the framework for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) designed to meet the diversion targets laid down in Article 5(2) of the Landfill Directive. The UK targets have been divided up between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the relevant government body in each nation is responsible for dividing the targets between local authorities who manage disposal.

LATS is a market-based mechanism that introduces progressively tighter restrictions on the amount of paper, food and garden waste that authorities can landfill. Local authorities are allocated an annual landfill allowance for municipal biodegradable waste. They are under a duty not to exceed this allowance and face punitive fines for every tonne landfilled above the total amount of allowances they hold. EU fines imposed on the UK for failure to meet the targets will be split between local authorities in direct proportion to their contribution in breaching the targets.
There are some differences in the way LATS Regulations are implemented across the UK. Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland will be able to "bank" (save unused allowances from one year to use in a future year) and "borrow" (use some allocation for the following year in advance), but there is no provision for banking under Northern Ireland's scheme. Authorities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland who have not used their allowance may trade them with another authority, enabling authorities who are unable to meet their targets to purchase allowances from authorities who exceed their targets. However, the scheme in Wales does not permit trading between authorities on the basis that it could encourage councils to put less effort into recycling and composting.
Besides the introduction of LATS there are a number of national level policy drivers requiring the development of the UK composting industry.

Landfill tax escalator
Landfill tax applies throughout the UK and is a key driver in the UK's aim of diverting waste from landfill. The tax was introduced by the Finance Act 1996 to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by better reflecting the environmental cost of this form of waste maanagement.
The aim of landfill tax is to encourage the disposal of less waste to landfill, to recover more value from waste through recycling and composting, and to stimulate more sustainable waste management approaches.
The tax is paid by landfill site operators per tonne of waste disposed of at permitted landfill sites. Costs are passed on by the operators to waste producers through increased gate fees. Landfill tax in the UK is administered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The initial rate of tax when it was introduced in 1996 was £7 per tonne for active waste and £2 per tonne for inactive waste. The rate for active waste has risen each year since 1999 (known as the landfill tax escalator). Currently for 2009/10 the standard rate of landfill tax for active waste is £40 per tonne and for inactive waste is £2.50 per tonne. The Chancellor's April 2009 Budget announced that the rate for active waste will continue to increase by £8 a tonne each year until at least 2013 when the rate will reach £72 per tonne.
The landfill tax has been very successful as an economic disincentive to landfill. The overall quantity of waste recorded at landfill sites registered for the tax fell by around 45% between 1997 and 2009. As landfilling has become more expensive, waste has been diverted into more sustainable forms of waste management and there has been greater investment in alternative waste management facilities.

Recycling and composting targets
The devolved nations have each set incremental recovery, recycling and composting targets to improve performance in the management of organics.

England
Waste Strategy for England 2007 sets a target to reduce the amount of household waste not re-used, recycled or composted. This means reducing it from the 22.3 million tonnes in 2000 to 12.2 million tonnes in 2020 (with a target of 15.9 million tonnes by 2010).  This is a reduction of 45%.  In addition the Strategy sets higher targets for recycling and composting of household waste – at least 40% by 2010, 45% by 2015 and 50% by 2020, which are higher than the old targets (set in Waste Strategy 2000) of 30% by 2010 and 33% by 2015. 

Wales
In the Towards Zero Waste Consultation on a new Waste Strategy 2009-2050 for Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government gas proposed by 2025 to set a target of at least 70% of recycling / composting of their waste for all sectors – this includes businesses, households and the public sector. This target is more challenging than the previous one of 40% recycling and composting of municipal waste by 2010 set within the existing Waste Strategy ‘Wise About Waste, The National Waste Strategy for Wales 2002’.

Scotland
The Scottish Government is developing a new Zero Waste Plan for Scotland setting ambitious targets such as 40% of recycling/composting by 2010, 50% by 2013, 60% by 2020 and 70% by 2025.

Northern Ireland
In the Waste Management Strategy 2006 to 2020 for Northern Ireland the recycling and composting targets are set at 35% by 2010, 40% by 2015 and 45% by 2020.

National indicators
In England, individual local authority recycling and composting rates are assessed by the Audit Commission through The Single Set of National Indicators (NIS). This is the only set of indicators on which central government will performance manage local government, replacing all other existing sets of indicators including Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs). Three relevant indicators are: NI 192 Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting (the percentage of household waste arisings which have been sent by the authority for reuse, recycling, composting or anaerobic digestion); NI 191 Residual household waste per household (the number of kilograms of residual household waste collected per household); and NI 193 Percentage of municipal waste landfilled.

Anaerobic digestion
The UK produces over 100 million tonnes of organic material each year, of which 12 – 20 millions are represented by food waste (approximately half of which is municipal waste collected by local authorities, the rest being hotel or food manufacturing waste); Defra are committed to encouraging a significant growth in the use of anaerobic digestion, a technology with great potential to contribute to climate change and wider environmental objectives.
The Accelerating the Uptake of Anaerobic Digestion in England: an Implementation Plan was published on 25th March 2010 and provides a framework for action by Government and stakeholders to facilitate the uptake of anaerobic digestion in England. Key actions for the Government include: implementing financial incentives (Renewables Obligation Certificates, Feed-In Tariffs, Renewable Heat Incentive and Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation); supporting the separate collection of food waste; and the making effective use of digestate as a product by supporting the new standard BSI PAS 110 and developing technical best practice guidance.

On 18th March 2010 Defra launched a consultation on further restrictions to the landfilling of biodegradable wastes and recyclable materials. This sought views on whether these restrictions would make an effective contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resource efficiency. Food waste is one of the candidate waste types considered in the consultation. The development of an effective infrastructure of anaerobic digestion and composting plants will be important to successfully diverting food waste from landfill.

The technology of anaerobic digestion will also play a key part in how Wales deals with its waste.  During February 2009 the Welsh Assembly Government announced £26 million of new funding for innovative technology which turns waste into biogas, a renewable source of energy. This new money will go to local authorities across Wales to help them develop anaerobic digestion plants as an alternative to landfill. The Welsh Assembly Government has partially funded the Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion to provide technical and non-technical support for the rapid deployment of anaerobic digestion in Wales (http://www.walesadcentre.org.uk/).
The UK has also committed to the EU Renewable Energy Directive, which binds it to sourcing at least 15% of its energy mix from renewables by 2020. To meet these targets, the UK has to support alternative waste management options such as anaerobic digestion whilst achieving considerable deployment of renewables.

The Animal By-Products Regulations
At the time of writing 78 composting facilities and 12 biogas plants are approved by the Animal Health to treat animal by-products in England, Wales and Scotland (http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/byproducts/approvals/list.htm).
The latest updated list for Northern Ireland shows that only 2 composting plants are approved in by the Vet to treat animal by-products. At the time of writing a list of approved biogas plants for Northern Ireland is not available (http://www.dardni.gov.uk/index/animal-health/animal-by-products/animal-by-products-approved-premises.htm).

3 Standards and Quality Assurance
Composts
The British Standards Institution's 'Publicly Available Specification for Composted Materials' (PAS 100) sets out a minimum compost quality baseline, upon which composters should build as appropriate to the product types and markets targeted. The PAS 100 is a fast-track version of a British Standard.
It requires the producer to establish a quality policy and management system to ensure compost is fit for purpose. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point planning must be carried out and inputs are restricted to source-segregated biodegradable materials. Materials composted and the resulting composts must be traceable. PAS 100 also requires that customers are provided with information about where the compost was made and guidance on storing, handling and using the compost.

In England and Wales the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Environment Agency (EA) in consultation with industry and other regulatory stakeholders developed a Quality Protocol for the Production and Use of Quality Compost from Source-Segregated Biowaste'. Launched on 15th March 2007, it is a formalised procedure for the production and use of quality compost from source-segregated biodegradable wastes, applicable in England and Wales. The Protocol clarifies the point at which waste regulatory controls on composted source-segregated biodegradable waste are no longer required, in England and Wales.

A compost producer that intends to supply compost for use in England and Wales as 'product' must demonstrate compliance with PAS 100 Specification and the Compost Quality Protocol. Northern Ireland will adopt the Compost Quality Protocol from 1st July 2010. 
Scotland has not, to date, adopted the Protocol. In this country compost derived from composting processes and composts that comply with PAS 100’s requirements are considered fully recovered by the regulators.
The Association for Organics Recycling’s Compost Certification Scheme is the only certification scheme in the UK that provides a framework for independent assessment and certification of compost to ‘PAS 100 only’ or to PAS 100 and the Compost Quality Protocol.

The proportion of sites certified under AfOR’s Compost Certification Scheme has continued to increase over the past years. According to the latest draft survey on the organics recycling management industry (2008/9) 47% of sites composting source segregated waste were fully certified under AfOR Compost Certification Scheme, with a further 10% working towards certification. The proportion not seeking certification (45%) is however the same as 2007/08, suggesting that certification may be approaching a threshold limit.
Nearly three-quarters of all products (71%, or 2.02 million tonnes) were produced at sites fully certified to PAS 100 – broadly double that reported in 2007/08. Of this 76% (1.55m tonnes) was produced from PAS 100 sites in England and Wales that were also fully certified under the Compost Quality Protocol.
Information about AfOR Compost Certification Scheme can be found on AfOR’s web site (www.organics-recycling.org.uk) under Tab ‘Certification’ / ‘Compost and Certification’.

Digestates
A framework very similar to that developed for composts has been developed for digestates.
The BSI PAS 110:2010 ‘Specification for whole digestate, separated liquor and separated fibre derived from the anaerobic digestion of source-segregated biodegradable’, creates an industry specification against which producers can verify that the digested materials are of consistent quality and fit for purpose. This PAS has been developed by The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and SEPA in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Association (REA), the Association for Organics Recycling (AFOR) and other organisations.
Quality Protocol for the Production and Use of Quality Outputs from Anaerobic Digestion of Source Segregated Biodegradable Waste clarifies the point at which waste regulatory controls on digested source-segregated biodegradable waste and materials are no longer required, in England and Wales. Northern Ireland will adopt the same Protocol from 1st July 2010.
The Protocol provides users with confidence that the quality digestate they purchase conforms to an approved standard. It defines those feedstocks which are allowable and describes acceptable good practice for the use of quality digestate on land.

The Biofertiliser Certification Scheme (BCS) owned by REAL is the only certification scheme in the UK that provides a framework for independent assessment and certification of digestates to ‘PAS 110 only’ or to PAS 110 and the Digestate Quality Protocol.
Further information about the BCS can be found at http://www.biofertiliser.org.uk.

4. Contact and sources of information

Formed in 1995 and formerly called the Composting Association, Association for Organics Recycling is the UK's leading Membership organisation promoting the sustainable management of biodegradable resources. The Association encourages a regulatory and economic framework suitable for the long-term benefit and sustainability of the organics recycling industry as a whole. The Association acts as a central resource, researching, collecting and distributing information.

The Association presently has about 500 members from all sectors of the UK waste management industry, including organics recycling companies, regulators, local authorities, consultants, trade suppliers, compost and digestate users, academics, individuals and students.
The Association works to:

1. Encourage good practice and excellence in the industry through involvement in development of standards published by the British Standards Institution (e.g. PAS 100 for composted materials and PAS 110 for anaerobic digestion)
2. Ensure the development of biological treatment as a sustainable waste management technique, through gathering and interpreting original data.
3. Develop and run workshops, seminars and training events to improve the skills and knowledge of people working within the biological treatment industry, regulatory agencies, local authorities, professionals in related industries and the general public.
4. Represent members to key stakeholders and promote members interests. Work with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and other regulatory bodies to influence decisions in favour of our members.

Association for Organics Recycling
Dr. Kiara Zennaro
3 Burystead Place
Wellingborough
Northamptonshire
NN8 1AH
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 (0) 1933 446441
Fax: +44 (0) 1933 446450
Email: kiara@organics-recycling.org.uk
Internet: www.organics-recycling.org.uk

AfOR Survey of the UK organics recycling industry - 2008/09

WRAP 2009. Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK. Downloadable from www.wrap.org.uk/retail/case_studies_research/report_household.html

www.wrap.org.uk/retail/case_studies_research/report_the_food_we.html

Please note that the majority of the data presented in this report have been sourced from AfOR Survey of the UK organics recycling industry - 2008/09.

www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/ukpga_19960008_en_1

wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/consultation/090429wasteconsultationen.pdf

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/waste-and-pollution/Waste-1/wastestrategy/recycling

The remainder being 90 million tonnes of agricultural material such as manure and slurry; and
1.73 million tonnes of sewage

www.biogas-info.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/60-accelerating-the-uptake-of-anaerobic-digestion-in-england-an-implementation-plan-published

www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/landfill-restrictions/index.htm