Animal by-products: Briefing note on composting
This briefing note has been issued to clarify the position on the collection of municipal waste for composting and its use on land.
Background
The Government strongly supports the composting of waste, this is a vital component of meeting the Waste Strategy targets for recycling and composting and targets under the Landfill Directive to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. The Waste Strategy made clear that the Government sees a need for a significant expansion in capacity for the composting of waste over the next decade. It is a key objective of Government to increase the amount of the organic waste stream which is composted and the Government has set targets to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste by 2005, rising to at least 33% by 2015. Current recycling rates for 2004/05 indicate that we are on target to meet the 25% target and as part of the review of the England’s Waste Strategy, the Government is proposing to increase those statutory targets to 40% by 2010, 45% by 2015 and 50% by 2020.
Composting is classified as a waste recovery operation under the Waste Framework Directive. In practice, this means that it is carried out under a waste management licence issued by the Environment Agency or a licensing exemption registered with the Agency. The objective of both types of control is to ensure that the composting of waste is carried out in a way which protects the environment and human health. Composting is carried out with the aim of producing a substance (compost) which is no longer waste.
Compost can be used as a soil conditioner, to improve soil structure and to enhance its biological activity, and a growing medium for the horticultural industry. The use of compost reduces harmful emissions of the greenhouse gas methane from landfills, it reduces the need for scarce natural resources such as peat and it returns organic matter to the soil.
Sources of municipal waste for composting
The majority (92% in 1998) of municipal waste comprised green wastes collected from civic amenity sites or local authority parks and gardens, with only 7% of organic municipal wastes collected at the kerbside.
Use of compost from green waste
Where green waste has been properly composted and is no longer waste then there are no restrictions on its use on land.
Use of compost from mixed waste
Where catering or household waste contains meat, it must be composted in a premises approved by Defra under the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005. The only exception is for catering waste composted on the premises on which it originates, provided that the material produced is used only on that premises, and that livestock are not kept on the premises. This means that householders may compost their own kitchen waste on their own domestic compost heap. This exemption may also apply to schools, hospitals or prisons. They may compost their own kitchen waste for use on that premises, provided livestock are not present.
Separate collection of organic waste
The Government considers that local authorities have a key role to play in encouraging composting. An increasing number are setting up centralised composting schemes from separate household collections and from civic amenity sites.
The Government supports the collection of source separated waste and
encourages local authorities to continue collection of kitchen waste.
Page last modified:
25 May 2006